Scenes from the 2025 Crossroads Truck Meet: Religion, household, associates

The crossroads at U.S. 50 and Missouri state route 87 within the city of California is nothing if not Rissler nation. Exit from 50 and head south, the place you may instantly see to your left the location of two Rissler brothers‘ shops housed within the Crossroads Procuring Plaza: the Horse and Buggy Equipment chrome store and Diesel Energy Plus, run by John and Delton Rissler, respectively, two of 5 Rissler brothers (Arlen, David and Paul the opposite three) with numerous connections to trucking following the footsteps of their small fleet proprietor father. 

Journey farther down 87 and you may attain the earlier Horse and Buggy location, from which owner-operator John Rissler ran his trucking enterprise and was „promoting lights beginning in 2000,“ too, he mentioned, with a rising specialty in LEDs early on. That morphed then into a wide range of customized components from different distributors. When John and firm constructed the Crossroads facility, formed within the type of a cross seen from above, in 2021, the thought emerged to have an open home for the trucking firms and drivers, distributors and so many others who’d helped Horse and Buggy develop by way of the years.

John felt it „could be an entertaining method to give again to the general public,“ too, he mentioned. Thus, what’s now the annual Crossroads Truck Meet was born. In its fifth 12 months, this previous weekend the non-trophied present drew nicely greater than 100 truck entries in a daylong occasion, culminating Saturday night with a catered dinner for entrants and quite a few giveaways from Horse and Buggy, Diesel Energy Plus and a bevy of distributors and present sponsors, from Roadworks (stacks and extra) and Hogebuilt (fenders) to Clear Fireplace and its gasoline remedies and lots of, many others.

Amongst owner-operators exhibiting working vans on the present was Wisconsin-headquartered Lucas Zach and his Little Z Transport enterprise. 

Proprietor-operator Zach hauls along with his authority with this 2017 Peterbilt 389, powered by a 2WS Caterpillar 3406E and that includes an 18-speed transmission and a 275-inch wheelbase. It is hooked to a hopper painted to match.

Lucas Zach, pictured in-cab and with a freshly redone black-and-blue button-tuck inside. 

Amongst present highlights for me? An extended speak with livestock-hauling owner-operator Troy Bolin about his 1979 Peterbilt 359 (hold tuned), initially owned by Darrell „Huck“ Huckaby by way of the Nineteen Eighties however which Bolin purchased and started operating in 1991. 

The rig is outfitted with its authentic 66-inch Double Eagle customized sleeper, nonetheless largely authentic inside as nicely — well-preserved by Bolin by way of the years. He hauls in the present day in a special truck, although, as has been the case now for a few years. The 359 is a showpiece. 

What is likely to be the standout function of the rig, although, is the unicorn of a V8 below the louvered hood.

The truck’s powered by its authentic Caterpillar 3408 motor, one thing of a rarity even again within the early Nineteen Nineties when Bolin bought the truck given it was supplied within the 359 for a comparatively quick interval within the late Seventies and Nineteen Eighties. 

Troy and Roberta Bolin

Hold tuned for extra about these and different rigs on-hand for the present in California. Crossroads Truck Meet organizer John Rissler had two of his personal vans within the present, too, each that includes the Sovereign Blue paint proven under. 

This Horse and Buggy Categorical 6NZ-Cat-powered 2000 Kenworth W900L, that includes the Studio Sleeper, powered Rissler and his household’s work close to the beginning of trucking profession as a enterprise proprietor.

Because the household grew, so too did the truck. Rissler upgraded to this 2003-model Kenworth with a 120-inch ARI massive bunk in later years.  

John RisslerNowadays, Rissler’s largely off the street himself, along with his day-to-day spent on the desk in his Horse and Buggy Equipment workplace you see within the picture right here, grateful for the neighborhood that is constructed across the enterprise. (Horse and Buggy additionally maintains a Pennsylvania warehouse from which most orders ship.) It „wasn’t by probability“ that the Crossroads plaza constructing is constructed within the form of a cross, he mentioned. „God is behind the scenes. … Household with God concerned in it — in any other case we may have by no means grown to the place we’re at. I do not even know find out how to let you know how a lot that is part of our work right here.“

Overhead on the finish of Saturday, after the lights got here on for the truck house owners nonetheless parked. Discover extra photographs from the present on the store’s Fb web page.Courtesy of Horse and Buggy Equipment

Did I point out the 50/87 crossroads was Rissler nation? In case you hold rolling South on Missouri 87 you may additionally cross John Rissler’s mother and father‘ place and in one other couple miles attain the headquarters of one more well-known Rissler, for a lot of amongst Overdrive readers right here. That’d be Paul Rissler, proprietor along with his spouse, Michelle, of Paul Rissler Transportation — 2024 Small Fleet Champs within the 3-10-truck division.

Paul and firm confirmed a couple of truck Saturday, together with the 2016 Peterbilt 389 he just lately bought and was engaged on placing into service once I visited his headquarters Friday: 

The 2016 Peterbilt 389 is proven outdoors the small fleet’s store hooked to a 2024 reefer able to roll to the location of the truck present. 

Paul Rissler out on the present the following day

Hold tuned for extra from the 2024 Small Fleet Champ, for certain. For now, enter this 12 months’s Small Fleet Championship your self (open to fleets of 3-30 vans). Entries opened simply final week at this hyperlink.