ST MICHEL, Que. — Sylvain Oligny needs his trucks to be big, bold and brassy.

His standout, meticulously maintained trucks are outfitted with special features including high horsepower engines, chrome and extra lights.

Oligny owns two companies in St. Michel on Montreal’s south shore. Transport St-Michel specializes in hauling raw materials ready for processing. Remorquage St-Michel is a towing and recovery company which specializes in heavy-duty jobs to recover damaged tractor-trailers and their loads from across Canada and the US.

Since launching his company 10 years ago at age 20, Oligny has built a fleet of about 40 tractors and 10 towing trucks – almost entirely Kenworth T800s. The towing fleet includes trucks with booms powerful enough to grapple and hoist overturned 50-ton vehicles and place them upright on the road.

“And for our over-the-road clients, we give customized service,” said Oligny. “We pull dry box, B-train, flat-bed, 48-foot and 53-foot tandem to quad, closed trailers and also tankers carrying chemicals for metal processing to meet the needs of our customers.”

That’s where Oligny’s heavy-duty trucks come to the rescue. To haul loads topping out at 137,500 pounds, his Kenworth trucks are spec’d with 550-horsepower engines, 18-speed transmissions, 14,600-pound front axles and 46,000-pound rear axles.

Oligny follows a strenuous maintenance program to keep his trucks running and demands that his drivers take care of their trucks to keep them looking good.

Oligny’s fleet consists predominately of Kenworth T800s, so the Kenworth W900 Limited Edition with 86-inch AeroCab sleeper and distinctive Pendleton wool fabric is the first W900 that Oligny has owned and serves as the truck he drives to oversee jobs, meet with customers and even transport loads to job locations.

Oligny is on the road an average of three days a week visiting his estimated 300 work sites.

“My Kenworth trucks are my business card,” Oligny said. “As my trucks go down the road all shiny with chrome and bright red in color, people see them and remember them. We get calls for business from people who have been impressed with our trucks.”

In addition to the 86-inch AeroCab, the W900 Pendleton Limited Edition is available in Kenworth’s 72-inch AeroCab Aerodyne sleeper. The special interior features a leather sofa, leather-accented door pads with Pendleton embroidery and a two-tone leather-wrapped steer wheel. Wood grain trim complements the leather throughout the interior.