Leaving a mark on the industry
Shocked, speechless, stunned.
Those often are the reactions of drivers presented with awards at Shell Rotella SuperRigs.
It goes without saying that earning a spot among the best at SuperRigs – or any truck show – means a lot to each and every one of these drivers.
To get a little better insight on what their trucks mean to them, Land Line spoke with SuperRigs best of show and best theme winner Theresa DeSantis and her husband, Dean DeSantis, who was best of show second runner-up.
Theresa DeSantis: SuperRigs best of show/best theme
“It’s my home away from home,” Theresa said of her 1985 Peterbilt 359, known as “The Witches Inn,” which has numerous custom features, including a signature pair of witches boots on the hood.
“This is the best sleep I get,” she said. “I’m very comfortable in my truck. I’ve driven my husband’s truck, and it’s just different. I’ve been driving my truck for 38 years. I have a cooler, but don’t have a microwave, TV or anything like that. As far as I’m concerned I’m out here to work.”
But, back to the boots.
Theresa said they are one feature she’s really proud of. And, believe it or not, they were a $10 online find.
“As silly as it is, I really like the boots,” Theresa said. “I’ve been asking people if they can make some boots, a hat or something unique I could put on the hood. When I saw these online I wasn’t sure what they would look like, but I ordered them anyways and it turned out awesome.”
“The Witches Inn,” also picked up the Steve Sturgess Best Theme award and previously won best of show at SuperRigs 2019.
“We worked really hard on the theme and putting details on the truck,” Theresa said. “I’m still always surprised when I win. I think the year of the truck, and just how clean it is really stands out. A lot of people tell me they can’t believe that this is the original interior.”
Theresa and her husband do much of their customization work in the winter from their home base in Arizona. It’s also a chance for them to spend some time together, as they are often traveling in opposite directions while on the road.
Yet, should their routes intersect, and they have a few days to spare, the couple often spends whatever down time they may have together between trips. In fact, they were doing just that soon after speaking with Land Line for this story.
“My husband taught me how to drive, and that’s all I’ve been doing ever since,” Theresa said. “It’s where I feel at home. We’re both leased to Long Haul Trucking, and we just take our next load as they come. We keep track of where we’re at and meet up on the road when we can. We’ve been married for 39 years, so I guess it works for us.”
“The Witches Inn” Peterbilt has also been a big part of the journey and will continue to be, Theresa said.
“It will keep going even after I’m done driving, but it’s not going anywhere unless I’m driving it,” she said. “Unless it’s going into a museum, there’s no way I’d part with it.”
Dean DeSantis: SuperRigs best of show second-runner-up
Dean’s gambling-themed 2018 Peterbilt 389 is, like his wife’s truck, a labor of love.
“Our trucks are very customized with features unique to them,” Dean said. “There’s no cookie-cutter parts. You wouldn’t take something off my truck and put it on another truck.”
Several of those features caught the eye of judges at SuperRigs, Dean said.
“There are a couple of places on my truck where I have stainless steel cuts done by a fabricator we work with out of Phoenix,” Dean said. “The judges commented about how unique these were, where I got them and how I had them done. Everything on my truck adds up to seven, to keep with the gambling theme. That’s something that catches people’s attention as well.”
Dean even customized safety and instructional decals on the truck to fit the theme.
“These decals still provide the information we want and need, but we wanted it to be different,” he said.
Still, it’s not about what he gets out of the truck. It’s more about what he can do because of it.
“I’m proud of my truck, especially this year, because it performed like I thought it could,” Dean said. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to win every show. Everyone at these shows is competitive. But our theory is to promote the industry and attract high-quality candidates to it. We want to educate younger people about the industry. The truck attracts the attention so I can have those conversations. It’s not the importance of winning, it’s showing folks this industry offers a good career.”
Dean said his working relationship with Long Haul Trucking has been extremely beneficial.
“They have been a good ally and teammate,” he said. “They help us load the truck so we are close to a show. Their help and support means a lot.”
Paying it forward remains the goal for Dean. He began driving in 1980 before accepting a management position in 1993. He took an early retirement in 2018 from that position to get back on the road and educate new and future drivers.
“We’ve spent thousands of dollars on these trucks and don’t always get a lot in return, but a lot of the shows are for good causes,” he said. “It’s not about us. It’s about what we’re trying to do for the industry. Educating younger people about the career opportunities in the industry. We’re living proof that it can be accomplished.” LL