Check Out This Truck

[ATeam]

Spotted this truck at TA in Ontario today when we went there for showers and then left to set up for tomorrow's pick up. The truck was buttoned up so I was unable to talk to the driver(s). The graphics and chrome on this SST-100 are the nicest I've seen on one of those "Jeff Jones specials."

 

[heel4you]

That is a beautiful truck! Thanks Phil, I like your truck photos.
Laura

 

[FireGears]

Thanks for the pix..!!!!

After 35-years in the fire service (now retired)
I like to look at big shiny trucks...

The large sleepers are great..

Give me a large sleeper, C/D-unit and
I'll stay out on the road (solo) for 5-years...

Please keep the pix coming.!!!!!

Be Well and Stay Safe

 

[Refer Hauler]

I agree that is a sharp looking unit.
Does anyone know where to get truck graphics of the quality displayed on this truck.

 

[sickdog40]

I have to agree on the graphics. I have been in the sign business for almost 30 years and it's nice to see something different. It's refreshing. I always tell people that the graphics are like a cherry on a nice cake....finsih it right. I'm trying to upload a picture of our new volvo with the airbrushed flames I'm doing. the kicker is that the flames are on vinyl....I tend to change my mind frequently. I was curious about what ya'll think.

Bruce

 

[cheri1122]

Nicely done! I think it's beeautiful! It'd look great even done in other colors, though blue & purple are my favorites. Just out of curiosity, do you do other people's trucks? And what would you charge for it, if you did?
If you haven't considered it before, I bet you could make it a very satisfying & profitable little sideline!

 

[Tennesseahawk]

My opinion is the flames on the bunk are enough. Or if you brought them all the way from the front. Four sets of flames on each side are overkill IMO.

-Vampire Super Slooth Trucker!!!

 

[greg334]

I am wondering if that truck would look good with the Panther sign on it or would that be too much of a departure that it would not compliment the artistic quality of the creator?

 

[sickdog40]

Thanks for the input folks. No, I think your right Tennesseahawk...I'm thinking of taking the flame off the front fender. As far as the Panther logo, my opinion would be you could have the flames in any color as long as the are contrasting. If I were panther, I would suggest those flames but make them white to light/dark greys w/ a gold outline....sort of like Ghost flames. I still have time to make changes as this truck is scheduled to be built at the factory Monday. It's the first ever truck done like this from the factory. In fact, they created a new model available to anyone named after myself and the salsesman whom we ordered it through. Yes, I have made a full time living at sign design for about 25 years. I'm one of those guys who can still pull a brush and use an airbrush...well before computers made the scene.

 

[ATeam]

SickDog40,

Consider painting the front bumper, fenders (but not all the way to the top) and fairings dark blue or purple. That will give the truck a firmer stance on the ground and bring out the chrome (one person's opinion of course).

Reefer Hauler,

The graphics on our truck are vinyl. The graphics company is ProArt in Canton, OH. They are the same people that letter FedEx Custom Critical trucks. FedEx is very strict about the color, size, placement and type of vinyl used for the FedEx logo and lettering. With the stars and stripes theme on the cab and sleeper, we had more latitude. ProArt has the equipment to do nearly anything a truck owner would like done with vinyl on his or her truck.

ProArt web site: http://proartsignsllc.com/index.htm

http://proartsignsllc.com/images/GalleryDESIGN_11_LARGE.jpg

When we first took the truck out on the road, I worried about the small points of the red stripes holding up in the wind and truck washes. After nearly a year on the road, no worries.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

Sickdog... what would you charge for something like those flames in vinyl and airbrush? I'm kinda scared of vinyl as it seems to break up after a couple of years; and I want a design that lasts the life of the truck.

-Vampire Super Slooth Trucker!!!

 

[Tennesseahawk]

Speak of the devil, Phil. An identical truck (graphics are different) is in the teams wanted section of the classifieds. Lotsa toys and gadgets and such. Maybe trying to compete with yours?

Nevermind that last sentence. I just realized the one in the ad was White Glove.

-Vampire Super Slooth Trucker!!!

 

[sickdog40]

Oh ya, there is a flame on the hood. I've got most of the front covered in stainless so it would be pointless to paint it.

Lots of ideas still in my head. I'm currently looking to even paint the fenders and fairings light silver metallic still. I just built a custom front crash bar that fits into the receiver holes that is chrome. It can be removed at will. As far as the vinyl, I use an Oracal that we use to fully wrap vehicles...has an outdoor life of 7-10 years. We install a high gloss clear over-laminate on to the print. Our machine uses a solvent to print like paint and not a water based ink. Our new machine is 54" wide. My 92 Bass Buggy pontoon boat is even wrapped (also fully polished) and the water doesn't bother the print. Although my wife is sure that's why we can't catch any fish...tooo shiney, scare them off when they see themselves. Either way, I hope that our Volvo turns some heads.

When it comes to vinyl quality, always ask for High Performance or ask for the manufacturer guarantee. I always warranty my work for at least 5 years. The flames on my truck can be remove cleanly without leaving glue residue for up to 5 years. I WILL re-do them before that as I am constantly doing designs.

 

[ATeam]

>Speak of the devil, Phil. An identical truck (graphics are
>different) is in the teams wanted section of the
>classifieds. Lotsa toys and gadgets and such. Maybe trying
>to compete with yours?
>
>Nevermind that last sentence. I just realized the one in the
>ad was White Glove.
>
>-Vampire Super Slooth Trucker!!!

I presume you mean identical truck to the first one pictured in this thread. More and more of those are seen on the road. I call it the "Jeff Jones Special." Jeff Jones calls it the SST-100, for the 100" integrated custom sleeper on a Freightliner class 8 chassis. Jones is the sales rep at Stoops Freigthliner in Fort Wayne, IN, who was instrumental in bringing this truck into reality.

An earlier "Jeff Jones Special" came into being when Jones worked at the Fort Wayne Kenworth dealer. That was an 84" custom sleeper on a Kenworth T-300 chassis. You see a number of those running around still.

Something unique in the first truck pictured is the tandem axles. Most Jeff Jones Specials I have seen so far have a drive axle/lift axle configuration.

Regarding competition, I certainly hope no one building a custom truck of any kind is doing so to compete with other trucks. While fleet owners might spec trucks to attract drivers from the market, it would be a fool's errand to build a truck hoping to outdo someone else's truck. No matter what kind of truck you have, something better will come along in no time at all. Build a truck for how you will use and feel about it, not for how other people may feel about it.

 

[ATeam]

About vinyl graphics life expectancy, we plan on getting five years out of the graphics and then replacing them with identical graphics. We plan to drive our truck ten years. We might repaint the whole thing after five years also, depending on how the paint looks then.

 

[Booker]

We recently purchased an SST100 truck from Jeff Jones. Jeff spec'd the truck with tandems and a 14,600# front axle with 16 ply front tires. The ride is superior to any other truck we have driven, all of which were single axles plus a lift axle. We also equipped the truck with Super-Single tires. I believe that this contributes to the better ride along with a little bit longer wheelbase that was suggested by Jeff. In the little bit that my wife and I test drove the truck, it was like night and day in handling and comfort. Time will tell on the durability and efficiency of the super singles, but I just heard a fleet owner on XM discussing how much better they handle the snow and he was having good luck with wear.

 

[Doggie Daddy]

Booker,it was good to meet you at the skills competition today.Also I understand that the very truck that you are talking about will be on display at the expediters expo.

I hope everyone gets the chance to see this beautiful truck that will be in the Stoops/Bentz/Fedex booth at the 2007 expo in wilmington,ohio on July 27-28.DD.

 

[BigBusBob]

A-Team, I saw your truck on I-85 going thru Greenville, SC a few weeks ago, ya'll were headed north, I was going south in my concrete mixer truck to I-385. I noticed the windows had a dark tint to them. The entire rig looks sharp.

Update on me, we're in the house with our 5 acres
(Located in Clinton, SC - exactly 2 miles from the Pilot)
We're on the Pilot side of the interstate.

Anytime you guys are passin' thru or any other "regulars" on here, let me know. Shanna is due Aug. 1st, it's a Boy... I give her 2 to 3 weeks or less, before the doc says No More Work. Smile.

Hope everybody is ok.

PS
I'm working on truck/bus parking. Smile!

 

[Booker]

It was nice meeting you at the Skill Competition. We are planning to have the truck on display in the Expo in July. The truck will have been on the road for some time and we will have a better idea of how everything works. Hope to see you there.

 

[Thornapple]

Took me a long time to get on here to check the photo to make sure, but That same truck was in the Flyin J this weekend. They are from the UP. Nice truck.