I got a close look at this Working Bobtail-winning rig in Overdrive's 2022 Pride & Polish competition during a November 2022 run with its owner-operator, John McCormick, of Robards, Kentucky, in and out of facilities McCormick works regularly, hauling PVC powder leased to Oakley Trucking.
McCormick took delivery of the 280-inch-wheelbase 2021 Kenworth in late 2020, and it's powered by 565-hp Cummins X15, an 18-speed transmission and 3.36 rears. With a principal supplier in Chrome Dome out of Haubstadt, Indiana, on I-64 north of Evansville, McCormick's added bright parts over the two years he's owned the truck -- including throughout the interior, as you'll see in the video above.
He's added eight cab lights for a total of 13 along the roof, breather lights, lights on the back of the sleeper and much more, as shown -- plenty, too, throughout the interior. Amber underglow lights are by Shift Products.
The front bumper is a somewhat recent addition McCormick ordered about a year ago and finally got and installed this past spring in 2022. Full fenders are by WTI and custom-painted by a close contact in Robards known only as "Chop."
McCormick christened the rig "Bandit" for reasons you'll hear him describe in the video and in this podcast and reporting after his big Pride & Polish win. A big part of those reasons is, of course, that the paint job closely mimics that of the Snowman's rig in the 1970s classic "Smokey and the Bandit" film, yet Bandit holds other meanings for McCormick, too. Hope you enjoy.
[Related: Rumors of the death of the 24.5 tire have been greatly exaggerated]
For custom-equipment features delivered to your email inbox, subscribe to Overdrive's weekly Custom Rigs newsletter via this link.
