Jimmy "Catman" Cattoggio

Robert Conrad
November 2016

Jimmy "Catman" Cattoggio has been around trucks almost his entire life and probably has a mixture of blood and diesel fuel running thru his veins thanks to all of his years behind the wheel. Jimmy's dad taught him how to drive trucks in the 1960s and Jimmy had his license at 15 ½ years old! In fact, he loved driving trucks so much that he quit school to drive full time. Forty-eight years later he's still going strong in his jet black 1988 Peterbilt 379.

Jimmy has certainly come a long way from the 1959 B-73 Mack that he hauled containers with up until 1986. He purchased that truck from a sod farmer in Sterling, MA with the help of his friends Peter Polito and Jim Kiley. Jimmy still has the "Not For Sale" sign that was in the trucks window and he has the truck at his house in hopes of restoring it someday. On his container runs to and from NY, Jimmy's old Mack would always draw a crowd of people who wanted to know more about it. He purchased his black beauty in 1999 and started his own business, CJC Carrier, which he incorporated in 2006.

A dedicated run hauling air freight for Forward Air has helped Jimmy keep the wheels turning on his Peterbilt for the past 18 years. Jimmy wanted to thank Forward Air for their continued business over the past 18 years. On his trips from MA to Ohio he became an avid reader of Movin' Out. In fact, Jimmy always brings home a stack of Movin' Out papers for his friends back home who can't get it locally. His delivery service is even better than the post office!

Jimmy's 379 has logged many miles over the past 18 years and he's restored it twice in that time. Most recently the truck was fitted with a custom 425 CAT engine that looks like it belongs in a street rod. Rick Plauman, from Great Lakes Diesel in Buffalo, NY, put the engine in and added polished intakes and braided lines throughout. It puts out over 700 horsepower thanks to Rick's fine-tuning! Jimmy's truck has an old school appearance thanks to a painted drop visor, single headlights, polished louvers in the sides of the hood, and a custom made grille & surround- complete with a classic Pete emblem.

Jimmy wanted to thank Butch O’Brien; from O'Brien's Big Truck Repair in Middleboro, MA, for the great bodywork and painting he did on the truck. Ali Olson, a top-notch mechanic and friend of Jimmy's was helping him put the truck back together before he became ill. Sadly, Ali passed away before the truck was finished, but he's definitely looking down & smiling when Jimmy rolls out of his driveway for Ohio each time!

When he's not out on the road, the "Catman" enjoys his collection of model truck replicas and trucking memorabilia. He also runs Big Wheel Polishing with his business partner George Brothers. They offer the finest wheel polishing in New England and you can check them out at www.bigwheelpolishing.com.

Jimmy "Catman" Cattoggio represents the trucking industry with class and lives by the old school trucking values he learned from his dad. His two-stick, hot rod Peterbilt turns heads on every run and Jimmy has a heart of gold, helping anyone he can.

Movin' Out salutes one of our biggest fans this month, Jimmy "Catman" Cattoggio, by making him our November Working Show Truck of the Month.