Boyhood Dreams

Some are born into trucking and know from a young age what they want to do. Jeremy Reuter of Brighton, Colorado, is one of those people. At just 29 years old, Jeremy has already been driving for 11 years. Knowing that this is what he wanted to do at an early age, he wasted no time, getting his CDL as soon as he legally could. And, all these years later, fulfilling his boyhood dreams, he never regretted that decision.

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Born into a trucking family, Jeremy grew up around trucks, riding with his grandfather clear back when he was still in a car seat. Jeremy’s father, Tim Gonwa, also drove trucks. Starting out as an over-the-road driver, Tim would later take a local job hauling dirt. Jeremy jumped at the opportunity to ride with his dad every chance he could. Helping his dad work on his rigs, too, Jeremy just loved being around trucks. When he was barely old enough to see over the dash, Jeremy’s father let him drive about 500-feet within the safe confines of a truck yard, and it was the ultimate experience for Jeremy as a kid. After riding with his father for all those years, Jeremy knew he wanted to drive trucks.

But, just because Jeremy was born into trucking didn’t mean that he started at the top. Learning to drive a big rig from his father, as well as his best friend, Matt Baumann, Jeremy quickly discovered that being a young trucker can be difficult – but, it’s not impossible. Having driven for Dennis Olivas, Big Bear, Inc., S & S and others, Jeremy has run dump trucks, hauling various materials, as well as tankers, livestock, flatbeds and agricultural products. At just 29 years of age, Jeremy has already done plenty of different things in trucking.

Now, driving for JM Trucking, Jeremy’s daily ride is the clean 2006 Peterbilt 379 seen here. Featuring a C13 Cat hooked to a 13-speed and pulling a new 2014 Travis Vertex all-aluminum end dump, Jeremy’s ride is set up to maximize payload – and to do it with style.

Painted a two-tone maroon and purple scheme with marbled yellow striping, the truck features eight-inch stacks, full fiberglass rear fenders, and a 20-inch Texas-style square bumper. Other custom features include a bowtie visor, extra cab lights, a rear light bar and pin-striping throughout, done by Stan of Stan’s Signs. With an interior that is no less than the exterior, the daycab features chrome gauges from end to end, a painted steering wheel with a chrome column, six-shooter shifter and brake knobs, and a Legacy low-rider driver’s seat.

Jeremy’s sharp JM Trucking company unit can be seen cruising locally around Colorado with whatever aggregate product Jeremy can put in the tub. Kept clean, Jeremy’s ride is hard to miss. And, with the new trailer that just arrived, we are sure that more is in the works for Jeremy’s nice combination. Always a fan of Peterbilt trucks, Jeremy even has the famous Peterbilt red-oval logo tattooed on his left forearm!

More than just a truck driver, Jeremy is also a family man. Married for ten years to his wife, Danella Reuter, Danella and Jeremy have three young daughters – Hannah (8), Shiloh (6) and Gracie (2). Whenever Jeremy isn’t out on the road trucking, he’s with his wife and daughters, which keeps his “off-time” pretty busy!

We first met Jeremy at the Color and Chrome Fantasy Truck Show held in Ogallala, Nebraska. Originally setting out to do the photo shoot as soon as we were both back in Denver, we were eventually forced to set-up a second shoot after fighting light problems and location issues. Throughout all of it, Jeremy’s enthusiasm never wavered, and we love to see that attitude in the drivers we choose to feature. Scheduling the second photo shoot a bit later, Jeremy’s ride was still just as clean as it was at the show a few weeks prior. And, the second time around on the shoot, finding just the right location in the old warehouse district just outside of downtown Denver, we knew we had found the right spot for shooting this slick combination.

Jeremy would like to thank his mother, Patricia Gonwa, as well as his father, Tim Gonwa, for all of their support and putting up with his love for trucks. Jeremy would also like to thank his wife, Danella, for her love and support and always being there to help him get the truck ready for shows. Jeremy also wants to thank Jimmy Mascaras for all the opportunities he has given Jeremy in his career, as well as the entire JM Trucking crew, for their involvement and help with building his dark red ride. Thanks also go to Dominic at Fleet Pride, as well as Outlaw Customs. Jeremy also wants to thank Martin-Marietta for always keeping the truck busy, whether it is snowing outside or hot and sunny.

We at 10-4 Magazine would like to thank Jeremy and his family for their time and effort during the photo shoots. Doing two shoots to get what we were looking for, Jeremy and his wife never got frustrated or impatient, they never failed to get the truck clean and ready, and they always made time in their schedule to be available to get the pictures done. We at 10-4 really appreciate that sort of commitment and excitement when we are doing a shoot!

Since he was a young boy, Jeremy has always worked hard and known what he’s wanted, and having a strong work ethic and clear goals can take you far. Cutting his teeth and working his way up the trucking ladder, this 29-year-old dirt hauler has earned the clean company ride you see on these pages. We’re certain Jeremy will always wake up ready to go to work and love the career he has chosen. And in trucking, that’s a big part of finding success. For Jeremy Reuter, his boyhood trucking dreams came true!