Ice Road Trucker Visits Colton

27 years ago, when Colton resident Larry Lord purchased FMB Truck Outfitters from the late Lionel Bernier, he had no idea that he would be celebrating the business’s 40-year mark with a celebrity. Lord recalls meeting Alex Debogorski, known as the “Ice Road Trucker,” about three years ago in Amarillo, Texas when driving cross-country with a hand-cranked 1928 Dodge dump truck on the back of the truck that he purchased from his good friend and famous artist, Lowell Davis, in Missouri. He recalled the 1928 classic serving as the conversation starter between the two. Before he knew it, he and the Ice Road Trucker were sharing stories over a meal. When the opportunity arose to hold a fundraiser for the Crime Prevention Program of Southern California, an organization that connects contractors with equipment that has been stolen from them, Lord jumped at the opportunity. “They’re in our industry so we were happy to help. They actually have a 37 percent recovery rate, which is pretty good!” shared Lord. Last Thursday’s fundraiser and Friday’s 40th Anniversary celebration seemed like the perfect time to invite the Ice Road Trucker to Lord’s stomping ground. Without hesitation, Debogorski accepted the invitation. “He’s just a good guy,” Lord said. Following the celebration, Debogorski and FMB Truck Outfitters staff all joined together after hours for a celebratory dinner in Ontario, Calif. During the FMB Truck Outfitters 40th anniversary celebration event, Debogorski was on site to pose for photos, sign books and autographs, and share his adventurous tales. Lord shared he spoke with Tim Karle at the Crime Prevention program of Southern California, and learned the organization raised just over $7,000, with more than double the previous event attendance record. Lord said he thinks Debogorski's visit was a big help in the fundraising. Debogorski, one of the stars of the History Channel’s hit “Ice Road Truckers,” which for seven seasons has captivated audiences following the treacherous journeys of various truckers who take on icy winter roads, was born in Berwyn, Alberta, Canada. Raised on a farm north of Brownvale, he studied general arts at the University of Alberta. Debogorski has been married for 40 years to his wife, and the couple together has 11 children and 12 grandchildren. Debogorski began driving trucks in Grande Cache, Alberta, from the McIntyre Porcupine Coal Mine. In 1972, he began working with Kenworths and Hayes, hauling to a coal-fired power plant with a 427 General Motors dump truck for MacDonald Transport from Grimshaw, Alberta. He’s known for his natural storytelling skills, and often describes his colorful life, recounting tales about everything from confrontations with bears, to calculating the strength of newly formed ice, to saving the life of another trucker. FMB Truck Outfitters was started in 1973 by Lionel Bernie. When Bernie passed away in 1986, Lord purchased the company. Over the next 27 years, Lord’s business’s growth would require two moves into larger facilities in a short amount of time. “It seems like every 10 years we have to move,” shared Lord, who last Friday celebrated his business’s 40th anniversary with friends, family, clients, vendors, and employees. Lord began his journey with the company in 1986 on North Main Street in Riverside, and then expanded to a location on Key Street in Colton. Today the company, which has grown to be the largest contractor truck equipment manufacturer in Southern California, operates out of 1033 W. Valley Blvd. in Colton. Business has grown steadily over the last five years, shared Lord, who, before he purchased the company, spent 10 years as a teamster truck driver, racing on weekends. Business has grown by an average of 35 percent each year, shared Lord, and he’s hiring more employees to help with the additional demand. FMB Truck Outfitters creates custom tool boxes for construction trucks, and some of the truck company’s major clientele includes Ames Construction, who is currently working on the I-215/I-10 Interchange and the I-215 widening project through the Inland Empire; and Atkinson Construction, who is currently working on the 91 freeway. The staff is all close, too, many having worked at the company for over 20 years: Mike Green began working with the company 27 years ago while in high school, and today he serves as the manager of FMB Truck Outfitters. Other longtime employees include Todd Beese, who has been at the company for 24 years, starting in 1989, and Bob Morales, who began work with FMB in 1995. To commemorate 40 years of service to their local community, Omar Castro and Dan Flores, representatives of San Bernardino County Fifth District Supervisor Josie Gonzales, awarded Lord and the rest of the FMB Truck Outfitters Crew with a certificate of recognition for their years of service. With business booming, FMB Truck Outfitters looks forward to celebrating their 80th anniversary in 2053.