The driver of this rig has dedicated his life to the safety of his fellow truckers.
Dean Croke is the principal analyst for DAT Freight and Analytics, and he has quite the backstory. Dean has been driving for most of his life, growing up in a family livestock haulage business in Australia. He’s driven around 2 million miles, including pulling some of the biggest road trains in existence.
However, in the late ’90s, after losing a couple of drivers who fell asleep at the wheel, Dean decided to make a career change. He transitioned into data science and analytics.
Since then, Dean has helped build predictive models to predict accidents and designed a sleep science program for truckers and their families, giving more than 650 sleep classes around the U.S. with amazing results.
But that’s not all. Dean also owns a stunning 2003 Peterbilt 379 EXHD with a C15 Caterpillar engine and a 13-speed transmission.
Dean’s truck is customized for comfort, with low-ride Bostrom seats; a new interior built and installed by the Chrome Shop Mafia in Joplin, Missouri; a 359 Corvette dash; twin sticks; and a custom overhead console. The sleeper features a lounge, two TVs, a 1,300-watt surround-sound stereo system, a fridge and even a game console.
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 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.