Immaculate Perfection: Marty Rasmussen’s Kenworth T908

Words by Chris Smith. Photography by Chris Smith.

For operator Marty Rasmussen his business premises is his pride and joy a Kenworth T908 which looks as new as the day he received it back from customiser Steve Lawler three and a half years ago. Chris Smith reports.

It’s been 12 years since Marty Rasmussen has been in transport and unlike many it wasn’t a generational thing, there wasn’t a deep-seated desire to be in trucking but rather it was growing up in the country and dealing with trucks in a practical way which steered his vocational choice.

He tells Australian Custom Trucks he grew up in the farming industry growing and harvesting grain. His dad John was contracted to harvest wheat and the logical progression for Marty and his brother Owen was to transport the wheat to the silos.

He followed in his big brother’s footsteps and actually bought his brother’s truck with a loan from the bank.

He didn’t even have a truck license at the time and confesses he taught himself how to drive.

“I bought a 1981 S-line international then decided I better get a license to drive it, I was 24,” he reveals to Australian Custom Trucks.

Based in Moura, QLD Marty mainly works around the Central Queensland region from Emerald to Wandoan, Gladstone and Rockhampton.

“My depot is in Banana which is 20kms away from Moura where we have a five acre block with a shed,” he says.

He has certainly come a long way in 12 years and isn’t alone in the business these days with partner Lisa and four year old daughter Alicia right by his side, especially when it comes to cleaning the rigs.

“Since Lisa and I started dating she’s helped me where ever she can,” he says.

Marty has done his time learning the ropes and says he is very stable with his client base and wouldn’t want to grow the business any bigger.

“I don’t find it that tough anymore because I have built a good business with good loyal clients but I would hate to be starting out again now,” he admits.

“I am small enough to provide a personal service.”

And the attraction is simple.

“Working for myself, doing things how I want them done and as you can see by my truck you get rewarded!”

He says when he first started he bought second hand trucks but his pride and joy was bought three and half years ago brand new.

Marty says although the other trucks were bought from people he knew and gave him a good three years, buying brand new has given him a peace of mind and lowered his maintenance cost dramatically in the first 18 months.

He is still a big fan of the classics though, and that will never change.

“We have two working trucks at the moment a T908 and a T950 and I have just bought a 1987 W model that is my next project,” he tells Australian Custom Trucks dropping a hint that it could just be in these pages in the future.

The T908 is his pride and joy you wouldn’t imagine it spends most of its time on corrugated dirt roads however it still looks impeccable.

He says the folks around his way reckon he is a bit mad having such a great looking piece of gear but he has the answer for the critics of customised trucks.

“I have heard the term many times “chrome won’t get you home” but this is my shop front, it does get you noticed and it shows that you have a bit of pride in your business, people remember that,” he says.

“I have always been particular, when I was younger it was with cars and when you get to drive something like this every day you enjoy going to work.”

Why Kenworth? “I have always liked the classic shape long bonneted Kenworths, so it’s the obvious choice,” he says.

With a truck in mind the next step was to get a customiser to turn his vision into reality.

“I left that part up to Steve at SLS,” he tells ACT.

“I told him that I wanted a clean smooth look and this was the second truck he has done for me.

“As the first one turned out exactly how I wanted it I left this one up to him and didn’t see it until it was finished,” however he says Steve Lawler didn’t disappoint, “it was exactly what I wanted.”

He says he and Steve are very similar “we are perfectionist, that’s why I go there because my expectations are high; his workmanship is first class.”

“As far as I am concerned he is the best in the country.

“It might cost a lot of money to get the best job but that doesn’t mean anything when it comes back exactly how you expected it to be.

“You get what you pay for and to still be 100% satisfied after all these years is worth more than cutting a few corners and saving a few bucks,” he says.

He also praises Steve for his workmanship.

“This is not a highway truck it has spent the last 3 and half years towing road train tippers in and out of farms in central Queensland a lot of which are on gravel roads and it has stood the test of time,” he attests.

And with a well planned job done exactly as planned there isn’t anything left to do to the big blue Kenworth.

“I did everything that I wanted to do right from the start so I can just sit back and enjoy the drive,” he reckons.

“I still love it three and a half years later and now I am planning my next build but I will continue driving this one.”

His desire for perfection is evident and he believes every truck is different, but for customisation stainless wrap tanks and chrome wheels save a lot of work when it comes to cleaning.

He says it used to take him all day about 12hours to clean the truck and trailers.

“But luckily now I have Lisa who helps a lot. Sometimes she will get in and wash it herself while I am doing maintenance,” he says.

“Alicia washes the mudflaps and she usually ends up dirtier than the truck was,” he laughs.

“They love my truck as much as I do.”

Trailers and working equipment

Marty has two 36 ft by 7 ft Graham Lusty tippers and a tri axle dolly.

“All are on Hendrickson airbags with Riteweigh Load Scales so my loads on farm are more accurate it also tows a tri-axel Moore widening step deck which widens out to 3.7 M which I cart mainly farm machinery on,” he says.

Family time

Clean crisp and fit is a mantra they live and work by. Marty, Lisa and Alicia spend all of their spare time together as a family.

“We enjoy wakeboarding and water skiing which we try to do most weekends in the summer, our 4 and a half year old daughter Alicia will have a go knee boarding most times as well,” he says.

“Keeping fit is a big part of our lives. Lisa and I share the same interest she is proving handy to have around the business, we both understand when she gets in and helps that it will leave more time for family time.”

What’s been done

What’S Been Done

Modifications

Sleeper Cab: Icepack, inverter, TV, DVD player, microwave, kettle

Paint: Marty’s own customised paint.

The sign writing was done by PJs Custom Spray Painting in Brisbane

Chrome work: stainless wrap tanks and straps, steps, headlight surrounds and visors, drop visor, bunk trims and rear bumper trims.

Extra grill bars and mesh with super chrome wheels and chrome battery box covers, 8 inch Dynaflex pipes, Vortox air cleaners, front bumper bar, polished aluminium checker plate deck plates.

Inside: 12 inch gearstick extension and stainless cover, chrome gauge covers, switches and interior buttons, wood grain steering wheel.

Bull bar: Barup Bumper Bar

Aircon: Icepack 2000-S

Lights: the truck was ordered with airhorns under the bonnet so he could put a full row of LED lights on the roof. He also has lights in the bumper bar, mirrors, air cleaners, up the sleeper trims and along the tanks.