SHOW ME YOUR TRUCK
Million-mile machine
The specialty 1993 Freightliner tool truck was built from
an extended wheelbase semi-tractor and a large trailer.
By Sara Scullin, Editor
Tim James is an independent
distributor based in Jackson,
Tennessee. He purchased
his 1993 Freightliner FLD in 2000
as an owner-operator and rebuilt
it to better fit his tool business.
The 18-wheeler has over one million
miles on it, and about as many
tools inside.
The Freightliner wasn’t James’
first truck out of the gate. He began
his tool sales career with a van that
was — according to James — “overloaded,
underpowered and underbraked.”
To remedy the problem he
built up his ’93 Freightliner 18-wheeler
to custom specs.
“This truck is homemade, redneck
built,” James says. “I’m never overloaded,
I’ve got way too much power,
and way too much suspension.”
He intentionally built the truck
“as simple as can be,” without a generator
or big inverters.
“I don’t have anything fancy or
flashy,” he says. “It is a work truck;
it’s not a show truck. It’s built to go
out daily and work. And I keep it full.”
In the build process, James took
a cutting torch to the over-the-road
rig. He cut the fifth wheel off, and the
rear end out from under it.
“The only professional shop the
truck was at was the Savannah
Machine Shop in Savannah, Tennessee
to add length to the frame
and build new drive shafts, because
we had to stretch it,” James says.
To view more photos of James' truck,
go to: VehicleServicePros.com/21026574
16 Professional Distributor I December 2018 I VehicleServicePros.com
16 Professional Distributor I June 2017 I VehicleServicePros.com
“Building this truck, there were so
many unanswered questions; I didn’t
know if it would work or not.”
He decided to put the door behind
the axle, because the rear suspension
is air operated and has air bags. He
lowered the step and door so customers
can get on and off easier.
Everything on the Freightliner
runs off the original truck. James
says the air conditioner runs off the
original truck, and the heater runs off
the radiator.
“I literally built it as simple as
humanly possible,” he says. “All of my
lights are 12V run off of the optimator
battery system. The only inverter
I have you can buy at Walmart or
Radio Shack or anywhere. It runs my
computer and my printer.”
The Jackson-based distributor
began selling tools in 2007. He
launched his career in outside sales,
selling heavy duty truck parts and collision
parts to body shops. His route
now consists of lawn mower shops,
motorcycle shops, body shops, dealerships
and an 18-wheeler dealership.
“I pretty much had a knack
for talking to customers, and I’ve
always wanted to go into business
for myself,” James says. “I’ll sell to
someone on the street if they have
the money.”
James’ “big truck” suits him
just fine.
“I’ll never trade it,” he says. “I’ll
never have a conventional tool
James rebuilt the 1993 Freightliner FLD
to accommodate his tool business. The rig
boasts plenty of space for tools, and still
has its sleeper in the cab.
truck. Never.”
He has his eye on cosmetic
touches here and there - lighting
upgrades and resealing the floor,
to make it “a little bit fancier,” but
overall, his customers enjoy the
abundance of space and products
the truck offers.
“I’m not going to lie,” James
says. “My shelves stay packed full
of merchandise and I always have
cardboard boxes on the floor full of
tools. But I learned in outside sales a
long time ago that you can’t sell out
of an empty wagon. And I actually
have customers that think it’s like a
rummage sale. They want to come
in whenever I get a new shipment in
and go through the boxes and it’s like
Christmas to them.”
He says he keeps his stock exciting
and keeps customers showing up
at break-time by providing beef jerky
and a cooler for drinks. At Christmas
time he stocks seasonal and specialized
items to help his customers with
their shopping so they can avoid the
hustle and bustle.
“It’s not a show truck,” James
says. “But it’s an everyday, go out and
crank it up truck. I don’t shut it off
until I get home at night.”
With this special breed of innovation
and determination at work,
it's not a stretch to think James and
his tool-toting 18-wheeler could
make it another million miles down
the road.
/21026574
/VehicleServicePros.com