Behavioral psychologists often say that who we become in life is very much a product of what we were exposed to in our youth. While Don Street hasn't grown up to be a guitar-toting party animal as our title might suggest, his early exposure to some outstanding music led to an appreciation of the trucking life that won't go away.
His Dad, Dave Street (featured in our April 2004 issue "Street's machine"), let the younger Street clean and look after his trucks when Don was just eight years old. A little later, Don would drive the truck up and down the laneway of their country property. It wasn't long before the two were touring the continent during the summer months, cruising the Wyoming plains to a country soundtrack that included Ol' Waylon, Willie, Hank Williams, and the rest of the Sixties' and Seventies' country legends.
"Those old songs bring back the day and nights I spent with my Dad out in the truck so clearly," says Don. "That's my trucking culture. That's what I'm trying to hang on to."
He's a self-confessed old-time trucker who loves the open road and big trucks.
Don has been 20 years on the road. He started in 1988 hauling gravel, buying his first truck after only a few months with his Class A license.
He did as well as might be expected for a green-horn. "I made the payments and kept the thing going," says Don.
That truck was wrecked in a head-on collision a few years ago. He was laid up for about nine months. Just as well in a way, because that's how long it took to get a settlement cheque for the loss of that first truck. He bought his KW in 1992, and hasn't looked back.
He had managed to grow his company to six trucks at one point, but managing the business from the road as well as running his own truck proved too much of a burden. He scaled back to just the one truck and that's where he is today.
"Now I know why six or even 10 trucks isn't enough to support a staff, but you're at the point where you really need a staff. It's a heck of a hump to try to get over," he says. "Disa did a fantastic job of managing the payroll, the filings, permits and everything else on the administrative side, but it was just too much."
Back to one truck now, he can't say life is stress-free, but it's better. "Disa and I have a three-year-old daughter now - Sydney - who I want to spend a lot more time with than I had with my Dad. I'm living better if I'm not making any more money."
Clearly, the truck is a product of his youth. Don says it's really a thank-you to his Dad. "I wish I could think of a way to say thanks to Disa too. She's a big part of my life and whatever success I've had. It takes someone special to put up with this life," he says. "We've been together 20 years, and I'm hoping for at least 20 more."
But 20 years in the biz, and only two trucks? "Yeah, I'm kind of a creature of habit," Don admits. "I can't let go of the old stuff."
Don's Pride and Joy
Bought from Lacy Dalton in 1992, Don worked this truck for eight years before stretching the frame from 244 to 299 in. He stretched the hood out four years later, adding 25 7/8 inches of handcrafted aluminum to it. Only the fenders are still fiberglass. The headlight pots were resculpted to accommodate the round lights used in the old days.
The engine is the original 425-hp B-model mechanical Cat. He declined to say what the engine is putting to the ground, but "it's more than the original rating."
It sits all the way up front right behind the rad. There's a big space behind it where you can stand atop the main gearbox under the front of the cab. It's painted white, and it's got an 8-core rad.
The 6 x 4 transmission proved to be a difficult proposition. The people at Spicer (now Bendix) found two refurbished but unused transmissions - the main
in Texas and the auxiliary in Edmonton. He installed
the main 6-speed box alone, but had to get a little help rigging the linkage for the auxiliary box.
"The hardest part was getting the driveline angle from the auxiliary box to the hanger bearing and down to the front differential right," he said.
The truck and engine have about 2.8 million miles on them, but everything still works like new. There are no vibrations, every gauge works, and the doors still seal like the day it came out of the factory.
