Livestock Hauler Runs on Proven, Reliable Cat Rebuilt Engine

As an Angus cattle rancher and OTR trucker, Barry Kucera is a man that isn’t afraid of a challenge. Today as a successful livestock hauler, Kucera has been able to combine two of the things he loves the most: trucking and livestock.

While Kucera did plenty of driving for the Iowa farming community he grew up in, it wasn’t until he turned 21 years of age that he became an OTR Trucker.

As a young man, Kucera grew up wanting to be a trucker, just like his father. At the young age of four, he started going trucking with his dad as often as possible. He learned how to shift just by watching his dad’s right hand and listening to the purr of the engine as it responded.

Kucera has loved Cat engines as far back as he can remember and has long appreciated the value of a powerful, reliable engine.

“Your engine is the heart of your truck. If it is unreliable, it can damage your business’s reputation for reliability, hurt performance and impact your profitability,” says Kucera.

Older-model Cat engines are famous for being exceptionally reliable and low-maintenance. However, these days it’s not easy to find a 600 horsepower Cat engine, so when Kucera located a 1999 Cat 3406E 600 horsepower 2050 torque engine in a truck parked in Wisconsin, he jumped at the chance to purchase. Once the engine was on the trailer, Kucera contacted Foley RIG360 where he worked with Product Support Rep, Shawn Winkler to build the engine to exactly what Kucera wanted.

Winkler says, “We build anything a customer wants, there is nothing we can’t deliver. ‘Radiator to rim and everything in between’ is our slogan at Foley RIG360.”

When Kucera contacted Winkler about his serial prefix 1MM 3406E engine, Winkler knew Kucera had found the engine every trucker dreams about.

“Barry’s engine was special. Every trucker out there wishes they had that engine. We stripped the engine down to bare block and did a complete overhaul utilizing genuine Cat parts. Nothing was missed from the machine work, balance of the rotating assembly, balanced injectors, dyno testing and a full custom paint job. Curtis one of our Master Truck Technicians did a fantastic job rebuilding the engine,” says Winkler.

“A commercial overhaul is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve equipment performance. Oftentimes, performing a Cat engine overhaul versus buying new can save an owner several hundreds of dollars and provide additional warranty if their block is undamaged.”

Foley RIG360 is unique in the sense they are a Cat dealer but also a HDA Truck Pride distributer. Winkler also notes, “We can offer the customer OEM parts or aftermarket options based on their budget and what they want. Every engine overhaul whether it is Cat or Cummins, has different options for warranty coverage. Cat platinum overhaul kits can come with a one, two, three or even four year warranty. Most aftermarket parts carry one year parts and labor coverage.”

The quality and proven dependability of a Cat engine is a must for Kucera. Animal welfare is one of the biggest challenges that Kucera faces, “You can’t compare hauling supplies with hauling live animals, there is a lot more responsibility and risk.”

Being a livestock hauler requires many hours on the road without a lot of breaks. It also is not without risk as it is much more dangerous to transport moving animals as cargo. “People are relying on you with their livestock” says Kucera. “I rely on my truck and engine to get us where we need to go.”

Despite the challenges that come with being a livestock hauler, Kucera says it’s a rewarding job because of the pride he takes in the work and the responsibility he embraces in caring for live freight.

Today, Kucera owns and operates Bear Trucking out of Traer, Iowa and is the proud father of 3 sons who plan to follow in his footsteps.