By Robert Conrad

 In today's tough economic times you have to operate in the most cost-effective ways possible to turn a profit.  For many trucking companies this means holding on to older equipment and dealing with occasional repairs rather than having a big monthly payment on a new truck.  For Tinio Corp., based in Mendon, MA, running older equipment that looks like it just rolled off of the assembly line is a way of life.  The boys at Tinio take a great deal of pride in their equipment and deliver heavy equipment up and down the East Coast while riding in their always-polished fleet of jet black trucks.  Our Working Show Truck for August is a super looking 1997 Peterbilt 379 conventional that is the pride of the Tinio fleet.  Company owner Damon Tinio ran this truck for many years but recently has turned the keys over to driver Glenn Mushnick, a self-proclaimed "truck nut" who treats Damon's Peterbilt like it was his own.  One look at the truck's original black paint from 1997 and you can tell that this is one truck that works hard and gets dirty but it doesn't stay that way for long.  In fact, I drive by the Tinio yard each day on the way to my "day" job and I can tell you that they are always out cleaning their trucks when they come in from a haul, no matter what the season may be. 

     This black beauty has over 553,000 miles on it but you'd never know it thanks to all of the hard work that Glenn puts into it.  The truck is tastefully customized with a square bumper up front; a drop visor, dual straight pipes, and polished full fenders over the rear wheels.  Custom hand-painted pin stripping and lettering accent the black paint, that seems to look better than new, thanks to all of the coats of spray wax.  As mentioned earlier, Glenn hauls heavy equipment with the Peterbilt and a 2000 Fontaine tri-axle lowboy trailer.  No load is too big thanks to the 550 CAT engine that's paired with an 18 speed Fuller transmission and a set of 46,000 lb. rears. 

     Glenn Mushnick has been driving for many years and owned and operated his own Peterbilt before switching over to company driving.  He said that the Tinio family takes care of him and he carries the company pride with him on each haul and takes care of Damon's Peterbilt like it was his own.  In Glenn's words, "A lot of TLC goes a long way-especially with a black truck."  In his trucking career Glenn has hauled many unique loads but he said that delivering generators to the World Trade Center site on the night of 9/11/2001 was his most memorable experience. 

For the best heavy equipment hauling on the East Coast be sure to call Tinio Corp. in Mendon, MA.  Damon Tinio will make sure his drivers get your load where it has to be safely and on time.  Whether it arrives on the Peterbilt or on one of their KW’s (jet black and polished of course!), your load will definitely travel in style!  When they aren't delivering heavy equipment, Damon and the crew enjoy racing modified cars and the Tinio Racing team is sure to be making waves soon!  Congratulations to Damon Tinio for running such a classy fleet of heavy haulers and to Glenn Mushnick for all of his hard work in keeping the '97 Pete looking as good as it does.  We salute your efforts with the Movin' Out Working Show Truck of the Month for August.