This week’s Rig of the Week is a design that never goes out of style.
This 1995 Peterbilt 379, fondly called “Ole Blue,” is owned by Mike Anderson of Mike Anderson Trucking in Checotah, Oklahoma.
Mike’s been behind the wheel of this beauty since 1998. Back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Ole Blue was even a show truck. But in 2016 disaster struck — a serious crash totaled the truck.
Mike didn’t let that stop him. He and his team rebuilt it from the ground up, giving it a fresh, clean look with bold black, silver and red stripes against the blue paint.
Inside, Mike went with a classic touch — wood floors, a wood-grain dash panel, and black and maroon upholstery. It’s a setup that’s as comfortable as it is stylish.
Trucking is in Mike’s blood. His dad ran a trucking company, and Mike says he’s been hooked since he was a kid hanging around the shop. Today, Mike’s company has 12 trucks on the road, specializing in hauling brick across Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas. He even works alongside his son, who operates two trucks of his own.
And here’s a story that’ll stick with you: Once, while hauling bricks, Mike’s load almost doubled in weight after a downpour. The bricks soaked up water like a sponge, bringing the total close to 90,000 pounds!
Do you use the CAT Scale app and have a rig you’d like us to feature as the CAT Scale Rig of the Week? Send photos and details to [email protected].
A former military public affairs specialist, Cody Graves has a journalism career that has spanned radio, television and print. For the last ten years, he produced special sections for Arkansas’ only statewide newspaper. During his time in the U.S. Army Reserves, Cody served tours in El Salvador, Iraq and Bosnia and Herzegovina. In his spare time, he plays guitar in a local band and spends time with his dogs, Lucy and Daisy.