SUYT March '09 Winners

From top: Ken Christiana's "Rolling Romance" and Douglas McClain's "Peewee"

This month at Showusyourtruck.com, two Kenworths stood out in the crowd – both heralding from very different eras in trucking. Mercer Transportation’s Ken Christiana won with his ’06 Ken, “Rolling Romance.” In the “Best of the Rest” category, Douglas McClain won with his ’55 KW 400, named “Peewee.”

Christiana’s “Rolling Romance” is a W900L, featuring the traditional Seminole paint scheme in two-toned green. The truck has an ISX Cummins engine and a 42” bunk, perfect for long hauls. You may spot him hauling building materials with his 2001 Ravens flatbed, outfitted with custom toolboxes and running boards.
 
Christiana named his KW after the first truck he ever drove, a Mac named “Rolling Romance.” Ed Smith owned the truck, a truck driver in his hometown that frequently delivered to a feed mill behind Christiana’s Dad’s garage. At only 10 years old, Christiana was allowed to hop in the driver’s seat of Smith’s truck and pull the old rig out of the dock. Smith instilled in him a love of trucking, and he’s enjoyed his driving career since 1967. “The name just kinda stuck, and it really made that old fella’s day to see ‘Rolling Romance’ on the bumper of my truck.”

Christiana would like to thank his wife, Mary, and his daughter, Heather, who have stuck by him during all his years of being away on the road. He’d also like to thank his father, Bob, and Sonny Combs, who have taught him how to work on trucks. Lastly, he extends a special thanks to Dave Lawrence who allows Christiana to use his shop to fix and maintain his equipment.

Douglas McLain’s “Peewee” is a blast from the past. The 1955 Kenworth 400 features all of the original stylings, just like the day it rolled off the factory line. The truck has a 400 Cummins Engine, 15-speed tranny and has been updated with power steering and air conditioning.

McLain purchased “Peewee” in 2001 and uses it to haul logs all over Oregon and California. It’s not every day you see such a beautiful classic putting in long hours in the logging industry. McLain agrees, “It gets a lot of comments out on the road.”

 Peewee will undergo a minor restoration this summer, including a new coat of paint. McLain, who has been driving trucks for 33 years, says, “There’s nothing like an old truck.” A true fan of old school rigs, he also owns a ’56 Kenworth and a ’56 Pete.

Showusyourtruck.com is online truck show featuring the coolest working-class trucks.  Do you think your rig has what it takes to be a winner of Mercer’s Online Truck Show? To submit your truck in the contest gallery, visit Showsyourtruck.com or call 800-433-0904. Showusyourtruck is sponsored in part by the Chrome Shop Mafia (www.chromeshopmafia.com)