Autoblog

Truckers are like motorcycle riders in the way that they invariably customize their rides. It's probably just as challenging to find a bone stock tractor as it is an unembellished Fat Boy. When you're plying the roads as much as the big rigs do, why not have some fun and stand apart from the rest of the crowd and their mudflaps decorated with conformist chrome silhouettes of questionable taste? International's new LoneStar truck will be factory trickable with a new line of Navistar accessories called DoubleSix Customs. While the Autoblog Garage isn't quite big enough to hold an 18-wheeler, we did dedicate the better part of an hour to International's website designing the perfect vehicle for hauling our tricked out fleet of Zastavas.

With International's online configurator, you can start with a basic truck and add a splash of color, a dollop of flames, lots of chrome, and nearly as many lights as Vegas. The DoubleSix name takes its inspiration from the mother road, Route 66, which International is hoping still resonates with those who keep our economy rolling. Our only problem? Lack of the proper license. Try it yourself, you can even upload logos and graphics to design your perfect LoneStar. Press release after the jump.

[Source: International]

Kids today are apparently all about showing up to prom in the most outrageous and/or ridiculous wheeled machinery available. For them, a 47-foot-long HUMMER H2 with spinners, multiple LCD television screens, and room for several couples is probably deemed to be merely acceptable. In the UK, Bethany Farrow's classmates would be arriving in a wacky variety of vehicles -- limos, a police cruiser, and even a riot van (all the better to cart the destined-to-be-unruly teens to the clink after an evening of rowdy festivities, we suppose).

Bethany wanted in on the action, but wasn't down with the pedestrian approach. A limo wouldn't do, you see. She wanted to roll up in her dad's gargantuan Volvo NH12-480 big rig, instead. So she did, much to the delight of her assembled friends, according to Volvo, who actually issued a press release on this. (How else do you think we found out?) Anyway, we do like the whole "going to prom in a big rig" idea. American teens, it's time to show the kids across the pond how it's done. The first one of you to arrive at Prom 2008 in a Kenworth K100 blasting the theme from B.J. and the Bear over the stereo wins. "Legend" status automatically achieved if you also have a chimpanzee with you. No, not as your date...

(If you don't know from B.J. and the Bear, the Internet is your friend. Start clicking.)

[Source: Volvo]

It could have been a horrible tragedy, but at the end of it all, no one was injured, and there were no hard feelings, either. Michigan State Police were skeptical when they started receiving calls saying that a big rig was pushing a wheelchair down the Red Arrow Highway in Paw Paw, Mich., but when the calls didn't abate, they headed out to investigate.

The rig was found in front of a local trucking company and to everyone's shock, there was a wheelchair attached to the front. With a man in it, no less. The occupant was unharmed, and the astonished truck driver had no idea he was even there. Apparently, the wheelchair was in the process of crossing the road in front of the truck. Too low for the driver to see, it was driven into. Miraculously, the chair was positioned in such a way that the handles lodged in the rig's grille and it wound up facing forward. Think about it -- it could have just as easily been knocked over and then run over -- a nightmare scenario for all parties involved.

Instead, the worst thing that happened was that the man in the wheelchair apparently spilled the soda pop he was drinking during his high-speed trip. Of the experience, he told authorities, "It was quite a ride."

Friends, that's today's candidate for understatement of the year.

[Source: South Bend Tribune]

It's rush hour, and you're late for work. Needless to say, you've got absolutely no patience for the trucker trying to merge onto the freeway, so you speed up to ensure you won't end up behind him. Later on, you cut another truck off to get into a faster lane... then slam on your brakes when the "fast" lane screeches to a halt.

This story seems to be played out every day we drive to work, but in addition to being jerks, we fools are being extraordinarily dangerous. Check out the link for Joe Hollingsworth's experience in driving a big rig for the first time. It doesn't sound like it's easy. You try changing gears nine times before you hit 45 mph. For the folks who cut off trucks, also remember that it takes them many times longer to stop than you do. For the guy who won't let the trucker merge, the truck is bigger than you and just might take the lane anyway. And if you hear a "whup, whup, whup," get out of the way -- that's the truck's tire about to blow off into your windshield. Check out the link for more tips on driving safely with trucks, and even driving a truck safely.

Also check out the AOL Autos forum where truckers have been invited to speak about their experience driving with us on America's roads. There are currently 41 pages of comments from truckers, so I guess they have some things they'd like us to know.

[Source: AOL Autos]

Most of us - even dyed-in-the-wool truck guys - would think that Dodge's latest take on semi-truck styling imbues the Ram with sufficient big-rig credibility (especially when equipped with the Cummins diesel). Greg Severt apparently does not, and that's probably because his day job involves playing with the real thing. So he did what seemed right, removing the cab and bed from a 2005 Ram 3500 and replacing it with sheetmetal from a 1994 Peterbilt. Rounding out the conversion is a bed from a '53 Chevrolet pickup, with a set of Peterbuilt front fenders replacing the original stepside quarter panels.

The stock Cummins engine remains intact, and resides under the forward-tilting hood. That particular feature required shortening the front frame rails by two inches - a move that had to be rather nerve-racking on a brand new pickup. The look is rounded out by a set of 40" tall Mickey Ts on some 20" Weld Racing wheels, with a mild lift providing the required clearance.

Interestingly enough, the conversion actually resulted in a weight reduction, as the cab and hood are aluminum (weight being very important in the heavy truck industry, where every pound of truck is one less pound of cargo).

[Source: Diesel Power]