To see Bob Martin's Peterbilt Model 379 gleaming in the sun, you'd never know you were looking at a 12-year-old truck with 1.5 million miles. The freshly customized two-tone paint job glistens as does a full set of new Alcoa aluminum wheels and Bridgestone tires. Inside the cab, while breathing in the "new truck smell" and sinking into one of the rich leather seats, you can only smile and admire the polished chrome guages on the newly installed Rockwood rosewood dashboard with matching floor and door panels. This is every Owner-Operator's dream ride. Martin's dream came true last June when he and wife, Geri, wandered intoa Shell SuperRigs show in Joplin, Mo. and came away with a $50,000 truck makeover.

Legendary Truck
Ten years ago, Martin and his Peterbilt Model 379 -- same truck, pre-makeover — were featured on the Shell SuperRigs calendar, as well as in Peterbilt’s First Class magazine. Back then, Martin compared his love for Peterbilt trucks to a motorcyclist’s affection for Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Over the years, his enthusiasm has only grown. “I’m an oval head,” he says, referring to the Peterbilt emblem on the front of his truck. “I bleed Peterbilt red." Since 1988, when Martin bought his first Peterbilt, he has never even considered owning another rig. He had done his time driving other trucks, he says, and he wasn't going back. When I first got into trucking, it seems like I was always driving junk," he says. "Then one day I was broken down on the north side of Chicago. A guy in a Peterbilt picked me up. I was dirty and cold, wet and hungry. When I got inside that truck, and looked over at that guy, he had a sweater on with the patches on the elbows and a thermos, all nice and steaming and warm, and I thought, 'This is the way it ought to be.' That image stuck with me."

Peterbilt Advantage
Martin's 1995 Peterbilt Model 379 is spec'd with a 425-hp Caterpillar engine, a 15-speed transmission and a 63-inch Unibilt" Sleeper. During the makeover -- done by Jim Raines, S&J Truck Sales, Fort Wayne, Ind. -- the all-aluminum cab was removed, sanded, repainted and completely restored. "With a steel cab, they couldn't have done that," says Martin. "Once a steel cab rots in two, it's done." While Martin enjoys the quiet comfort of his new interior, the custom painted exterior has been turning heads from coast to coast. Trailer Transit -- a "power only" hauler -- specializes in picking up and dropping off trailers anywhere in the country. "Trailer Transit is a great company to work for," says Martin. "They're tops in safety, they don't push their drivers and they have a customer base that just amazes me, including Disney, the PGA and the U.S. Military." Last year, Martin was asked to help move the Dallas Cowboys training camp from Oxnard, Calif. back to Dallas. When he arrived a day early, they invited him to stay at the Marriott Hotel with the football team, which had released a few players the day before and now had rooms available. "They put me in a three-room suite, I got to eat with the players, and I met Jerry Jones and Bill Parcels," say Martin. "That was a pretty neat experience."

Reliability Over The Long Haul
Through all the years and accident-free miles, Martin says his Peterbilt is still as reliable as ever. Every 10,000 miles, he takes it in for an oil change and a once over. Whether he's home or on the road, Martin says he relies on the Peterbilt dealer network. "When you need service, Peterbilt does it right the first time. With a little TLC, these Peterbilts can go a million miles easy." Martin purchased his Peterbilt MOdel 379 in 1995 because he liked the legendary styling. It's still the best-looking truck on the road, he says, and with 12 years of service under the hood, "it's the most reliable truck you can own. There's only one truck for me -- Peterbilt."