COVER FEATURE - MAY 2003
Truckers work hard, get things done, and
represent the true American spirit which built this country - they always have,
and always will. As an independent trucker, Dan Thompson is proud to be an American
and he shows that pride through his beautiful truck he calls “Independence”.
The rig, which was spurred partly from the events of 9/11 and partly from the
lifestyle trucking offers, features a red, white and blue dash as well as a
host of other patriotic symbols. But this truck didn’t always look so pretty.
The awesome rig featured on this month’s cover (and these pages) started its
life by being burned up. The rig’s original owner, a company in Missouri, had
a driver that rode the brakes until they caught fire, which burned the rear-ends,
frame rails and the sleeper. Smoke damage pretty much ruined the cab too. At
only a year old, the truck was ready for the scrap yard. That’s when Brian Martin
of 4 State Trucks in Joplin, Missouri stepped in.
Brian bought the 1998 truck and rebuilt
it from the ground up. He sent it out for new frame rails, installed a brand
new 1999 cab (right out of the crate), added a 48-inch flat top sleeper, and
tricked the truck out. It was a real hot rod when he finished it. In 2001, Dan
bought the truck from Brian and didn’t think he needed to do anything to it
- it was perfect just the way it was. But you know how that goes.
At that time, the truck was dark blue with red fenders, frame rails and tanks,
and had a lot of chrome, but it was nothing compared to what it is now. After
driving the truck for almost a year, Dan had the opportunity to buy a used 96-inch
ICT sleeper. After many months in that crowded 48-incher, he bought the sleeper
and had his frame stretched to accommodate it. He added some stainless to the
back to dress it up, but didn’t go too crazy. Dan remembers the first morning
he woke up in that sleeper to the aroma (and sounds) of French Roast coffee
brewing in his truck.
Just a few months later, the truck was
vandalized as it sat at Dan’s home in Florida. Nothing was stolen, but the culprits
threw rocks at the sleeper and sprayed the whole truck with fire extinguishers.
The chemicals ate into the paint and ruined the entire exterior. Dan was angry
and frustrated, but the truck was due for a new paint job soon anyway, so this
was a good excuse for him to finally do it. At this time, Dan decided to name
the truck “Independence” and build it to show quality standards. And the finished
product, as you can see, is nothing less than spectacular.
The truck was completely repainted and striped, and ghost flames were added
to the fenders and tanks. The truck’s exterior was fitted with 180 LED lights,
14 neon tubes, 8-inch stacks, WTI fiberglass fenders, hundreds of louvers, and
much more. Dan added 22” side extensions to the sleeper and wrapped the back
with louvered stainless. Valley Chrome Plating built Dan a custom bumper featuring
recessed license plates and “Independence” laser-cut into the front. At night,
two bright red neons light up the truck’s name from behind.
As incredible as the outside
of this truck is, the inside is even better. Dan had Thundergrafix in Joplin,
Missouri, create a stylized, waving American flag out of cut vinyl and apply
it to his dash. He also had the underside of his visor done in red, white and
blue. The cab features a hardwood floor, billet aluminum armrests, Bostrom’s
Wide Ride Taladega seats, all white and red Double JJ gauges, aluminum pedals,
cherry wood door panels, XM satellite radio, and a fold-down motorcycle foot
peg for resting his left foot on while driving. Back in the sleeper you’ll find
a fold-up bed, a 19” flat screen TV with a DVD player and a Sony Playstation,
a sink with hot and cold running water, a microwave, a big refrigerator and,
of course, his favorite item, the spacesaver coffeemaker.
The truck’s drivetrain consists of a 500 Detroit, an Eaton AutoSelect 10-speed
and 3.55 rears. Dan’s engine has some chrome, but it is still a work in progress.
Fellow truck show competitor Darian Stephens recently told Dan that if he did
a little more work on the engine, his truck would be unbeatable, so Dan is looking
to do more work under the hood as soon as possible.
Some finishing touches to
the exterior included having the statue of liberty etched, in color, into the
glass of the small window on his passenger side door. Dan also had the guys
at Thundergrafix make him custom “Independence” logos to stick over all the
Peterbilt red ovals. There is just too much stuff on this truck to try and list
it all.
Dan attended a lot of truck shows in 2002 and did very well. He is always proud
when he wins Best Interior (which happens a lot) because that is (basically)
his home. The shows are a fun place to relax and hang out with friends, but
don’t be fooled - showing trucks is hard work. But even if you don’t win, at
least you leave clean.
When Dan isn’t working or at a truck
show, he loves to play golf - he’s a certified golf nut! His clubs are always
in the truck, so he’s always ready to play. Dan enjoys attending major golfing
events across the country. He recently got to see his golfing hero, Tiger Woods,
play at an event in La Costa, California, which thrilled him beyond belief.
But Dan is usually pretty busy and doesn’t get to golf nearly as often as he’d
like. His job keeps him pretty occupied.
For well over 25 years, Dan has had the backbreaking job of hauling household
goods - moving people and their stuff. He started out as a helper, packing and
loading trucks, and eventually ended up behind the wheel. Back then, in his
early trucking days, it was pretty rough. For years, he drove single axle, cab-over
trucks (some without any air conditioning) between New York and Los Angeles.
Except for one short hiatus at Allied, Dan has always worked (through different
agents) for northAmerican Van Lines. He has 18 years of safe driving and well
over one million accident-free miles. Dan has been an owner operator for 15
years.
For the last six years, Dan
has been hauling for an agent out of Bloomfield, Connecticut called Nationwide
Moving & Storage, but he just changed over and became a direct puller for
northAmerican. He will now be pulling a retractable, soft-sided trailer and
haul nothing but crated, forklift-loaded freight - no more packing. Dan always
loved the customer service side of his job and took great pride in the meticulous
work he performed, but after 25 years of manual labor, his body was beginning
to wear out, and he thought the change was necessary. Dan is excited about this
new challenge and looking forward to doing less physical work.
Although trucking offers a lot of freedom, that freedom has a price. Dan Thompson
might have a house and a family in Sarasota, Florida, but he lives in his truck.
When we met up with him at the stunning photo shoot location (Vasquez Rocks
just outside of Los Angeles), Dan hadn’t been home for over two months. And
afterwards, he stayed out another month before finally making it home for Easter.
Its a good thing his truck has all the comforts of home, because it is his home.
If being a trucker was a job you could do from home, it truly would be the best
job ever.
Dan wanted to thank Kevin and Tom, the talented artists at northAmerican’s paint
shop, for all their hard work and give them all the credit for the truck’s paint
job. Kevin did all the major painting and Tom did all the lettering and striping.
He also wanted to thank Brian Martin at 4 State Trucks for getting it all started,
and his wonderful dispatcher Deb Pepple for always keeping him loaded.
Having his truck featured
on the cover of 10-4 is a real honor for Dan. He equated our magazine to trucking
as Rolling Stone is to music. What a compliment! We couldn’t be more happy and
proud to feature Dan and his beautiful truck on our cover.
As much as he’d like to win the Lottery and get off the road, he doesn’t figure
that “American Dream” will ever come true. In the meantime, he’d just like to
earn his 25 Years of Safe Driving award, attend a few more truck shows and continue
having fun and working hard - but not too hard.
Dan is proud to be an American and is not afraid to show it. His rig is a rolling
tribute to the men and women who died so that we could enjoy our freedom and
independence. The spirit of America is alive and well in trucking. Hey Dan Thompson
- you just made the cover of the Rolling Stone! I hope it’s as great as you
always imagined.