Gord Cooper grew up in Ayers Cliff, a small town in Eastern Canada. He attended Dawson College before joining the Armed Forces as a Military Engineer. After seven years, Gord resigned from the Canadian Military and soon he began a career in trucking. In 1980 Gord moved with his wife Marilyn and daughter Melissa from Nova Scotia back to Calgary, Alberta. In 1981, before the birth of his two sons Matt and then Glenn, he created O.C.E.A.N. Hauling and Hotshot Ltd. His first truck was a Ford One-Ton with a gooseneck trailer which he used to deliver oilfield equipment across Western Canada and the U.S.. Owner-operator Bryan Crane joined the company in 1984 with his one ton and gooseneck trailer, to work with Gord. In 1985 Gord bought his first Kenworth; a 1985 W-900 with an air-ride step deck trailer and an Atlas 6 1/2 ton picker. Over the years Gord bought, worked with, and sold several Kenworth models including a 1990, 1995, 2000, 2003, and 2007 all T800's, as well as a 1996 KW W900L. He also developed a passion for antique trucks, collecting 1959, 1957, 1954, 1937, 1935, 1930, and 1926, all Kenworths. Many other makes, models and years of trucks were also bought and sold to enhance his collection of vintage Kenworth trucks.

   

    In 2001 Gord bought a 1968 Canadian Kenworth W-923 from Tristan Jackson. Origionally a water truck, the Kenworth was restored by Tristan into a Show Truck in 1998, complete with a 385 CAT engine, racing wing and hydraulic-lifting FRP hood and body. This truck was named "The Smokin' Gun", and became the graduation ride for Gord's youngest son, Glenn. In the summer of 2001 Gord Began to drag race the Smokin' Gun at 1/4 Mile drag strips in Alberta pulling 18 second passes at about 80 mph. Then, in 2002 Gord pulled out the heavy CAT engine and replaced it with a Detroit Diesel 8V92, making the Smokin' Gun the first and fastest nitrous-injected Diesel Pro Rig in Canada. Growing support from sponsors and friends, and help from his mechanic "Dragster" Jim Attewell and son "240sx" Matt, allowed Gord to tour drag strips across Western Canada, turning 13 second passes on the 1/4 mile. At Race City Speedway in Calgary at the 2005 Pro-Trucker Magazine Alberta Big Rig weekend, Gord pushed the truck to a 12.72 second 1/4 mile E.T. at 114 mph- his personal best at the time. Shell Rotella T came on board as a major sponsor at the end ot the 2005 season, sending Gord Cooper with crew member "Awesome" Oggy, and The Smokin' Gun on a tour across Canada to Ontario. In 2006 Wayne and John Talkington from TNT Racing in Fontana California built a fully modified 8V92 Detroit Diesel Race Engine for Gord. At Race City Speedway in Calgary on August 25, 2007 during the 2007 Pro-Trucker Magazine Big Rig Weekend, Gord set a new Canadian and U.S. D.D.R.A. 1/4 Mile Speed Record at 120.70 mph (12.35 seconds). The same weekend he also achieved his personal best E.T., blasting down the 1/4 Mile in just 12.09 seconds at 119.88 mph!

  

    In the summer time Gord Cooper continues to tour Canada with the Smokin' Gun and his Crew, wowing race fans with spectacular burnouts and fast 1/4 Mile runs. When the racing season ends Gord goes back to work full time with his drivers, Brian Crane, Rob "The Sarge" McConnell, and son Matt, hauling oversize and delicate oilfield equipment with his commercial Kenworth trucks, a 2000 T800 tandem tractor, a 2003 T800 Tri-Drive with 15 ton crane, a 2007 T800 tandem winch tractor, and several specialized lowbed trailers. You can bet that after a long haul, when he's pulled over on the side of the road sleeping, Gord is dreaming about the spring time, when the snow melts, his T-N-T Detroit fires up and once again four black rubber marks are laid down in a cloud of white smoke with the crowd on their feet clapping and cheering for the Smokin' Gun; Canada's Fastest Diesel Pro Rig.