Feature Truck for Summer 2002

1954 KENWORTH

by Don Hays

Ed Rocha’s favorite truck from his personal collection is a 1954 Kenworth. The non- sleeper cabover was purchased in 1992 from a company in Los Angeles that used it to make local deliveries of lumber. A 200 Cummins with a smoke turbo powers the unit. The main transmission is a four speed Spicer 8000 series, the auxiliary is a Brown-Lipe 4 speed, and a SQHD rear end. According to Rocha, it runs along very smoothly at sixty miles per hour. When the Kenworth made the trip from the seller in Los Angeles, it was inspected at the California Highway Patrol Scales and received an okay inspection sticker. While the truck was in good mechanical condition, that didn’t stop Rocha from going through with a major restoration project to return it to the 1954 specifications.

The Kenworth pulls a 1950 Webber three-axle livestock trailer. Rocha had purchased the trailer with no bed on it from Bert Van Dyke in Southern California. When Rocha took position of the truck and trailer, he started to build the livestock bodies. Anyone who has seen the truck and trailer can attest to the high quality work in the restoration. The Rocha Transportation blue and white color combination makes the unit stand out in a crowded truck show.

The 1954 Kenworth is a remarkable example of truck history, just like its owner, Ed Rocha. Rocha’s career in trucking started in 1952 when he was 16 years of age and a junior in high school. His father surprised him one day and said they were going to look at some trucks for sale in Salinas. He always enjoyed riding with his father and the trip from Modesto to Salinas was no exception. When they arrived and made the necessary equipment inspections as all truckers do, his father made a deal to buy the trucks along with the hauling job. After making the deal he turned to his son and said, “These are your trucks and you’re in business. You have to pay and take care of running it.” Can you imagine at sixteen years of age being thrust into running a man’s business? Rocha made the trip from Modesto to Salinas every weekend and holiday to take care of business.

Rocha continued to commute to take care of business until he reached the age of 18 and got out of high school. He then moved to Salinas, newly married, to run his trucking operation. After a year and a half in Salinas, his customer moved to San Jose. The customer finally went out of business in 1957 and Rocha moved his business to Oakdale. He remained in Oakdale until 1963 when he moved the company with two trucks to a feedlot operation near Brentwood California. In 1973 he moved again, this time to Stockton, with a fleet of fourteen trucks.

The next move for Rocha was to Modesto in 1987. In 1990 he closed the Stockton yard and moved the rest of the operation to Modesto. He started another business venture with his son Doug during 1989 called Valley Enterprises. This company leases trailers to the agricultural industry. They currently operate 200 trailers and ten trucks, including some transporting livestock. Doug Rocha is also a supporter of the museum and frequently takes home a trophy from the museum’s annual golf tournament.

Rocha Trucking was recognized for having a well-maintained fleet. He was always on top of new innovations in the industry and was not afraid to try something different.

During 2001 the sixty-truck fleet, Rocha Trucking, was sold. He now spends most of his time with the farming operation and his favorite toys, antique trucks. He is dedicated to the museum and has been responsible for many of the fund raising events, including truck shows and golf tournaments. A superbly restored 1924 Model TT truck was donated to the museum by Rocha.

Rocha’s resume includes many hours of service to his community. He is a past president of the California Trucking Association and the Hays Antique Truck Museum. He is now serving as Director at Large for the American Truck Historical Society. He is a Vice President at Large for the American Trucking Association and serves as a Director of the Children Crisis Bureau of Modesto and Oakdale.

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