2nd Time Around Marmon

BERNVILLE, PA…. Some things are meant to be,  others are not.   For Owner-Operator Bill Muckel of Bernville, Pennsylvania, to be reunited with his Dad’s Marmon seemed to be destiny.  Bill’s father Henry Muckel bought the 1986 Marmon in 1988 and ran it until he sold it in 1994. 

One day, in 2011, Bill was driving down Route 322 when he saw the Marmon sitting by the road.  Bill recognized the truck immediately as his Dad’s Marmon and he bought the truck and drove it home.

Once Bill got the truck home, he worked on it for 2 years before getting it back on the road.  The Marmon was reconditioned in stages and in 2021, underwent a frame up rebuild.  Bill added an 88” stand-up sleeper, and as he says, “It’s the bunk that Marmon never got to use.”  Lesher Welding, a local company, did the welding on the truck and sleeper using all Marmon parts when possible. 

Bill had his Marmon painted to match a motorcycle helmet he had as a kid.  Another local company, Kloppy’s Customs, did the painting.  The two companies are located next to one another, which made moving the Marmon back and forth an easy task. 

The truck that Bill drove for his Dad when he was 22 years old is the same truck that he drives for himself today, with a number of upgrades.  The 1986 Marmon is powered by an N14 525 hp Cummins engine with Jake Brake, and a 189 Eaton 13 speed double overdrive transmission.  A 2017 Airliner Air Ride System replaced the spring suspension.  Bill also switched to disc brakes all around the Marmon and on his trailer.  The Marmon sports a 3 tone interior.

Bill has been driving truck since he was 18 (37 years).  He has been leased to U.S. Bulk for the past 5 years and says this about the company, “U.S. Bulk has been a great company to work for.”

You can see Bill Muckel and his 1986 Marmon pulling a 2021 Stargate aluminum end dump with square markers and taillights to match his truck, running throughout the country pulling bulk loads for U.S. Bulk.