Shell Rotella Super Rigs Brings Out The Beautiful Best In Trucking

The lines of colorful and polished heavy-duty work trucks parked outside Trail's Travel Center in southern Minnesota covered the gamut of freight hauling. But they shared a common theme: professional pride in trucking.

Sure, the 37th annual Shell Rotella Super Rigs competition offered cash prizes in its beauty contest. Even without winning a category, every truck had a chance to be included in Shell's annual calendar that adorns the walls of truck maintenance facilities and is a collector favorite.

The owner-operators from 14 states and two Canadian provinces gathered just off Interstate 35 near Interstate 90 in Albert Lea, Minnesota fanatically keep their trucks pristine. 

"Have pride in your stuff and look good going down the road," said Jay Palachuk, who drives a 1996 Kenworth W900L with 2.6 million miles. 

The trucks, many with families in tow for a mini-vacation, began arriving on July 25 outside the community of 18,000 residents named for Albert Miller Lea, a Confederate major in the Civil War. Lea surveyed the land that became the town for the U.S. Army in 1835 before joining the south. 

As they awaited their turn for judging, owners polished the ample chrome on their rigs and inspected for flaws that might cost them points. Four volunteer judges walked around each truck, scoring appearance, design, detail, originality and workmanship.

"This is about the glorification of trucks and trucking," said Steve Sturgess, a judge for 30 of the competition's 37 years. "So many people see trucks on the highway as a nuisance and something to get away from. Then you see one of these trucks and you say, ‘Wow, this guy really cares.'"

Ironically, more than a few entries were gliders, shiny new exteriors with pre-emission remanufactured engines that cost less but emit far more pollution than newer diesel trucks.

Categories included tractor, tractor-trailer and classic trucks running at least 85,000 miles a year. Non-work trucks were judged separately.

$100,000 paint job

Jay Palachuk entered Super Rigs for the first time this year with his metallic green 1996 Kenworth W900L. He purchased the truck with 1,500 miles on the odometer. It is on its third engine. The first lasted 780,000 miles; the second lasted 980,000. His current power plant is in its sixth year. 

Palachuk spent $100,000 on a paint job and a few exterior upgrades last year.

"It looked good before I had it painted," he said. "This truck gets washed and polished by me every week. A quick wash job is five hours. A more thorough job takes eight." 

The interior is all original except for the seats. Kenworth-embossed floor mats protect unblemished factory-installed carpet beneath. 

Palachuk spends eight to nine days on the road at a time, hauling custom kitchen cabinets in his equally well-preserved Great Dane trailer under contract to D.M. Krenkevich in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

"It's a big job cleaning up for a show," said Palachuk, who last entered a competition in 2014, the 75 Chrome Shop truck show in Wildwood, Florida. 

With the long hood open, the Caterpillar 550-horsepower Caterpillar 3406E 14.6-liter diesel engine stood out because it was painted white. Palachuk said the color was an homage to a tradition dating to the 1970s.

The story goes that Kenworth agreed to purchase engines from the construction equipment maker only if they agreed to paint them white, which would make oil leaks noticeable. Over time, Kenworth favored engines from its PACCAR Inc. parent company. It also offers 15-liter engines from Cummins Inc. 

Palachuk doesn't understand drivers who drive dirty trucks.

"I should be able to pull into a truck stop and not have the nicest truck there, but there's a good chance I will," he said.

Recruiting tool

Dean De Santis and his wife, Theresa, each entered their themed trucks. The customized grill on his bright red 2018 Peterbilt 389 consisted of repeated ‘7s' with a gambling motif on his Conestoga-style trailer displaying horse-racing betting slips and playing cards.

Theresa's orange-and-black 1985 Peterbilt 359 played up a witches theme, with high-heeled boots repeated in the grill.

The couple sold a successful waste-hauling business in Massachusetts and moved to Arizona. They decided they liked driving for a living and contract with Long Haul Trucking out of Otsego, Minnesota. 

Dean De Santis said his customized rig helps draw younger people's attention. He mentors those interested in driving careers "as a way to pay it forward and get some of these guys involved."  

The judging

Dean De Santis stood nearby as Sturgess made notations on an iPad. He gave the equivalent of high B grades for theme, design, detail and originality. He liked the polished frame rails. Workmanship took a hit because Sturgess disliked the lack of fenders on the rear wheels. 

"To anyone not in trucking, it looks pretty darned good," Sturgess said. "Some drivers think if it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing."

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