For Bud Whitcomb, rebuilding and painting trucks is ingrained in his DNA. Since the day he was born, he’s been surrounded by commercial trucks and heavy equipment. His parents, Rick and Barb Whitcomb, have owned and operated Whitco Inc., a trucking company in Kamiah, Idaho, which specializes in logging since 1984. Growing up, Whitcomb was always in his parents’ shop helping his dad service the company’s trucks. That’s where he learned how to paint vehicles. The paint sprayer became his favorite tool, and commercial truck painting became his passion. He’s turned it into a great career.
Reflecting back, Whitcomb said: “My dad knew his way around a truck and did most maintenance and bodywork himself, so I picked up a lot of skills from him at a young age. I became really interested in painting and would spray paint anything I could get my hands on. I learned everything I could about it and eventually started doing custom paint jobs on my dad’s trucks as a teenager. It caught the attention of my dad’s friends and other truckers in the area, and I began getting requests from others to paint their rigs.”
After going to college to study business and auto body repair and paint, Whitcomb worked various jobs and continued to work on other paint and body repair projects after hours. Eventually, with enough demand and opportunity to turn his side hustle into a full-time job, Whitcomb started his own company.
Today, Whitcomb owns Budco Custom Body & Paint Inc. which is based out of La Grande, Oregon. The company, which Whitcomb founded in 2012 in one of his dad’s service bays in Kamiah, has grown into a reputable company that draws customers from all over the country seeking a high-quality custom truck paint or bodywork. In addition to his paint and body shop, Whitcomb owns five Kenworth W900 logging trucks that operate in Eastern Oregon and Idaho.
According to Whitcomb, Kenworth long-hood trucks were a staple in the Whitcomb household.
“My dad and I love Kenworths, and the W900s were my dad’s truck of choice for his company,” said Whitcomb. “There isn’t a better truck out there for harsh vocational operations like what you experience in logging. They’re well-built, durable trucks that have that traditional, classy look that everyone in the trucking industry appreciates. My dad still drives his 1999 W9, and it runs great.”
While Whitcomb is experienced in restoring trucks himself, an opportunity to acquire a Kenworth 100th anniversary W900 Limited Edition day cab last year was one he couldn’t pass up. Kenworth only built 900 W900 limited editions to commemorate the centennial anniversary.
“Kenworth is such an iconic brand in trucking, and owning a unique piece of its history in the W900 was something we had to have,” said Whitcomb. “We took the base limited edition design and put our own custom ‘spin’ to it. It’s truly a one-of-a-kind truck that really stands out and it gets a lot of attention in the community. It’s a truck we’ll hold onto for a lifetime. It’s used daily, hauling logs, but eventually, it will become a showpiece.”
Whitcomb’s special W900 not only caught the eyes of those in the local community, but it also caught the attention of Kenworth. So much so, Kenworth sent a professional photographer into the field to capture Whitcomb’s truck in action earlier this year. The photos, which capture the W900 in snowy conditions on a logging road were recently shown on Kenworth’s social media channels.
“We work with Big Horn Logging, a company based out of Oregon, and they helped us out in cutting the perfect trees for a three-log display on our truck. I thought the photos were fantastic, and it was a fun experience to showcase such a cool truck.”
Since establishing his company 12 years ago, Whitcomb has grown his business from a one-person operation with Whitcomb doing all the paint and bodywork to a company with six employees working in the body and paint shop and six commercial truck drivers. Quality service has been the key to his success.
“We have customers that come from all over the Western half of the U.S. and as far as Ohio to have their trucks painted. We take a lot of pride in the quality of our work, and this company wouldn’t be where it is today without our great employees. Many of our projects are on Kenworth. There’s a reason you see so many Kenworth W9’s at truck shows, and that’s because it’s one of the best trucks ever built.”
