If you spot this eye-catching Peterbilt on the highway, you might think, “What a great-looking 379!” Well, you wouldn’t be right … but you wouldn’t be entirely wrong.
When Conrad Shada, owner of Anamosa, Iowa-based Conrad Shada Trucking Inc., was just a kid, he fell in love with the classic ’80s-era Peterbilt 379s. In 2019, he bought a 2020 Peterbilt 389 glider kit — and immediately set out to transform it into a replica of a 379.
Three-and-a-half years later, with a little ingenuity, a lot of elbow grease and more than a few late nights in the shop, he has the truck of his dreams.
The 18,000-pound tractor has a 280-inch wheelbase and is powered by a CAT 3406E 2WS engine with an 18-speed Roadranger transmission.
The rig, designed more for power than speed, produces more than 550 horsepower, delivering the muscle required to haul his chosen cargo: cattle.
The tractor is paired with a Wilson stock trailer, custom-made to match the 1980s-era style of the tractor.
When he’s not transporting cattle, Conrad likes to spend time with his family or work on his trucks.
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, contact info and details about the truck 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.