Collin Gerdts’ Full Truck Tour & Interview

I first laid eyes on Collin's long hood Peterbilt 379 back in early all at the Big Iron Classic Truck Show in Kasson, MN. It was dark and raining that evening, I had my family in tow, and this was our final minutes at the fairgrounds. After snapping a couple (low quality) cell phone pics of Collin's truck we talked a couple minutes and exchanged phone numbers. He agreed to doing a full truck tour and interview after harvest time on the family farm; and true to his word, Collin spent a couple of hours with me in his shop explaining all the details of his build. Though personal preference is, by definition, entirely subjective; the creative decisions Collin made in the 5 long years it took to build his dream truck are phenomenal. He took his time and didn't rush anything along the way during the frame-off restoration. He blended some of his favorite pieces of a 359, 379, and 389 and kept the ENTIRE project looking as if it rolled out of the Denton, TX plant that way. Some of Collin's favorite touches are the ones that can be easily overlooked by a causal observer like smoothed sleeper doors (devoid of vents) power one-piece side glass with shaved controls, hidden fuel tank fillers, and hidden sleeper air ride. The slammed stance is thanks to a Horst bagged car-hauler wide-ride steer axle on 389 springs. Peering under the long, low, glassy-slick hood is a warmed-up and detailed Caterpillar ahead of an eighteen speed Eaton-Fuller gearbox. Torque travels all 305" of the wheelbase to spin 3.36 rear differentials hidden under mirror-like stainless and Badass fiberglass slammed fenders. Because this truck will eventually see the highway again and work full time, Collin made intentional decisions to keep things simple, classy, serviceable, and immaculate. Form HAD to be on the same level as function and the scale was never allowed to tip too much either direction. This rig will pull end dump trailers so it's equipped with all the hydraulic and pneumatic plumbing necessary with Cali-style hookups out back. In fact, that's one question he gets asked more than any other; "Why all the glad-hands back there?" The simple answer is, "They run all the controls for the dump trailer's functions." The semi truck's interior is no less impressive as the exterior; in fact, the cab is Collin's favorite part of how the truck turned out. With a full Peterbilt 359 dash retro-fitted into the 379 to include all the 379's American Class style gauges and switches, it was not an easy task to accomplish. Vintage 359 styled upholstery by Truck Guts in Joplin Missouri adds the time-traveler effect combined with a twin-stick kit and dual defrost fans. Collin really likes a less-is-more approach on his trucks so when he does use aftermarket parts the preferred ones are American made by small businesses as locally as possible. RLK Services built the visor, Lifetime Nut Covers built all the caps, oilers, and steps. Wiper arms, mirror brackets, and small accessories were all sourced on Instagram and built in small batches. Even some of the fabricated brackets hidden under the sleeper and every ounce of paint was sprayed less than forty miles from Collin's farm in Southern Minnesota. He did all the work right in the very spot we filmed this video and it took him weekend after grueling weekend. We can all relate a tiring week of trucking and farming to provide for the family and losing the motivation to work on a project in the shop. But the perseverance of young Mr. Gerdts is evidenced in the fact that he didn't take shortcuts or skimp in ANY way on building his dream truck. Will this be the last project truck he takes on? "Probably not." he laughs, "I have a bunch of parts I'm collecting for the next build." And I can't wait to see what he comes up with next... In the meantime watch for this black cherry beauty out on the road or at a local truck show in the upper midwest. It's guaranteed to be as subtle and intentional as this ride is. Filmed, edited and written by "Flannel" Philip West #peterbilt #trucker #builtnotbought #trucktour Music used with permission by Epidemic Sound