Some trucks are low-key, and some are wild rides – this one happens to be both! When someone decides to restore or customize their truck, it can be as mild as a few bolt-on pieces or a compete frame-off build. Several factors determine the complexity or direction in order to appease the owner’s vision. For Bob Vogel of Indianapolis, IN, when he set his sights on the well-known 1956 Peterbilt Needlenose that had been sitting in Heartland Peterbilt’s showroom for 30 years, he had no idea it would turn into the final product you see today… at first.
With a fondness of the older generation of trucks, Bob (48) grew up in the transportation industry and bought his first truck at 19 years old in 1992 from a longtime family friend – a 1964 B Model Mack – for only $4,500 and used it to pull a dump trailer. In 1993, Bob, along with his father, started Vogel Trucking. In 2008 the two decided to sell the company when Bob’s dad retired. Building the business to 75 trucks, Bob always had it in his mind that he could do that again. After a few years working as an agent at another carrier, Bob started his own company in 2010 called VTI Specialized. Just eleven years later, VTI has grown to 130 trucks, along with a full shop and office team, and become one of the Midwest’s largest flatbed, walking floor, dump truck and specialized carrier operations… read more and view the gallery >
