David Nieland of Indianola, Iowa was “chosen” to get a CDL when he was young and working construction – the team needed a truck driver, and the boss chose him. However, this twist of fate helped him 42 years later when his life took a turn and, with help from his parents, he bought this truck. Like so many of us, he was seeking freedom and wanted to become his own boss, and although it sounds like a cliché, he got his wish. How did he do it? By managing debt and taking it slow, building his truck, for over seven years, to what it is today. This sweet-looking, healthy, long, 625-hp 6NZ with no payment has always been powered by cash. I asked him what “freedom in trucking” is to him, and he gave me an interesting answer, saying, “I can now do two things I couldn’t ever do before – park her for a month if I want or need to and go wash her even if it’s gonna rain that day.” That might not mean much to some, but that means everything to David – and others (like me) – that are powered by the Spirit of the American Trucker!
