For the lovers of mountains, they have a way of calling you – whether for a visit or for a lifetime – they hold the promise of beautiful landscapes, rugged terrain, and a peaceful calm when life gets crazy. For Nick Wey (33), born and raised in Michigan, an internship in Utah opened his eyes to move west to an area surrounded by majestic mountain views.
Like most who caught the trucking bug early on, Nick was unable to say when he fell in love with trucking and the trucks from days gone by. One thing he could tell me was that it all started with riding with his grandpa “Papa” Joe. He remembers he couldn’t go trucking with him until he was potty trained, and once that happened, Nick rode with him every chance he could until he was 19 years old, including learning how to drive along the way.
I guess you could say, Nick always knew he would drive a truck one day, but he had a real, legitimate fear that he wouldn’t be able to drive a cool older truck because of the new truck models coming out. Also, between his dad having classic cars and Nick having dirt bikes, he also learned how to mechanic.
Growing up in Wayne County, Michigan, he didn’t necessarily have any thoughts of moving out of his home state. After high school, he stayed in Michigan to attend Central Michigan University, majoring in Construction Management, and in his junior year of college, he took an intern position at a down hole drilling company (they stabilized the ground for foundations to be built). This company also had an office in Salt Lake City, UT and just happened to have a job that was happening when Nick’s internship started. They offered him the internship out in Salt Lake City, so he flew out there, but not without his BMX bike, which was one of his passions.
It didn’t take long for Nick to realize that he wanted to move to Utah. So, after his internship, he went back to Michigan, graduated from college, and moved to Utah in April of 2016. He took a position as a project manager for a construction company for about three and a half years, at which point, his love of BMX bikes led him to a job building BMX and mountain bike trails, along with running equipment.
In 2017 he attended his first truck show – The Great Salt Lake Truck Show in Lehi, UT. Fast forward a couple years to July of 2019 and he began dating a lovely young lady named Manny (Amanda) who has become an integral part of his life and an amazing support system. Through the years, he dreamed of owning a 359, and even had a photo of one as the background image on his phone. He had been working in Idaho and one morning he was on KSL (similar to Craigslist) scanning for trucks before heading out to work in the mountains. All of his previous 359 findings were either junk or daycabs, but this morning, he found what he was looking for. For $5,000 he took delivery of this truck on June 26, 2020, when he rolled it off the trailer. Yes, he rolled it off the trailer (see photo) because the Cummins engine block was windowed (had a hole in it), and it looked like a grenade went off in the oil pan.
His Nana Cindy (Joe’s wife) is the one who gave Nick the money to buy the truck. When she saw the truck, she actually didn’t think anything would come of it, since it didn’t run when he bought it. In short order, though, Nick got his CDL in December 2020, started his business, Wey & Co., obtained his own authority, and went through the truck. The interior was completely gutted, and with help from Ken Cox out of Fairfield, ID, a Cummins Big Cam III was installed under the hood. An effort was made to find a company to lease on with, but the opportunities kept falling through. His friend Tanner gave Nick the push and encouragement that he didn’t need to do that, he could do this deal for himself. Nick and that 359 ran their first load together on February 9, 2021.
The aforementioned truck was Nick’s first truck, and the same truck you see pictured here today. It has a build year of 1985, but it is titled as a 1986 Peterbilt 359 with the previously mentioned 400 Big Cam III, 15-speed transmission, and 3.70 rears. Our mutual friend Jimmy Johnston (March 2020 feature) helped Nick stretch the frame to its pictured 255-inch wheelbase. There are details on this truck that make it unique, and upgrades were made, but he keeps it true to how it looked back in the day. Nick installed a 2018 low air leaf suspension, high mount suspension hangers, and rock guards were added on the headlights. This 359 was kept as a single stack rig with just one breather.
When I was speaking with Nick, I asked him what his thoughts were on the purchase of a new or used truck, and what benefits he saw in buying an older model (besides the cool factor). He said he always sees a vision with a truck, and suggested buying used – or rather buying outright – because that will work in your favor. Given you have the experience and knowledge to do the maintenance and repairs yourself, there will be times when freight is slow, and it is much less of a burden in those times when you don’t have a truck payment.
That same legitimate and real fear Nick had as a kid, still holds true today, wondering if in five years he’ll still be able to drive his old truck. He’s realized all is not lost with the passion for driving the older trucks. Last year, just prior to the ATHS National Convention in Reno, NV, eleven cool old trucks were seen stuffed into Nick’s yard. He explained that he had to take a step back, grateful to experience this, because it had always been what he wanted – to be around like-minded people his age that still appreciate the older trucks. Jimmy had sent me photos of this gathering, and the amazing trucks. It would’ve been a sight to see, for sure, and I wish I would’ve had the time to photograph these trucks as they rolled out to Reno together.
Today, Nick and Manny reside in Heber City, UT, and Nick plans on continuing to drive this truck, along with doing all the normal maintenance. He has another 1986 Peterbilt 359 in the shop right now that is a project truck. He continues to do all his own mechanical work. The near future goal is to be able to confidently build a truck on his own, in his shop, and possess everything he needs to do so. For the first month running, Nick used his friend Tanner’s flatbed, then he bought his own – a 2018 Utility 48-foot flatbed trailer. He runs mostly regional, hauling a lot of structural steel right out of Heber City, but he will haul just about anything he can strap down.
Special thanks from Nick to his Papa for giving him the trucking “bug” and for teaching him about trucks and trucking, and for passing along the pride he had onto Nick. To his family for being so understanding when he opted to forego using his four-year bachelor’s degree to get into trucking, and to his Nana for believing in him from the start (and the help buying the truck). Special shout out to Manny, who doesn’t come from a trucking background, for her love, patience, and sacrifice. She is an amazing partner, a great helper wherever she can, sees and understands his passion for this lifestyle, and goes with the flow that every day is a truck day. There is no one he would rather do this life with. Thank you to his friends the Finns, the Jaegers, Andrew and Scott Nelson, Breton Munns, Tanner Cox, Jimmy Johnston, and Finch Welding & Fabrication out of Heber City, UT for all the help, advice, support, and most of all, friendship.
Utah remains one of my favorite states and I appreciated the opportunity to photograph another truck in the beautiful landscape this state provides. I had the opportunity to speak to Nick back at the 2021 ATHS National Convention in Harrisonburg, VA, however, I wasn’t formally introduced to him. This was actually the first truck show he took his truck to, driving out there, with Manny following behind him in her car.
Thank you goes to one of my great friends Jimmy Johnston for being a reliable source in finding cool old trucks with amazing owner stories. It is so great to be able to photograph these time capsules, but the people operating these trucks are what makes the stories. Believe it or not, there are plenty out there who keep trucking’s past alive with not only their passion for the trucks and the way trucking used to be, but also in the trucks they operate. There is a bit of nostalgia, seeing these old trucks running up and down the road, still earning their keep.
Though the time photographing Nick’s truck was short, it was definitely time well spent getting to hang out with him and Manny. We met bright and early on a Sunday morning because I wanted to try to get some rolling sunrise photos heading into Provo Canyon, which we successfully accomplished. From there we went to the Historic Tate Barn. The original barn was built in 1902, but during the winter of 1996, the barn fell into disrepair because of heavy snow. The barn we took photos next to was resurrected in a similar design to the original structure.
Thank you to Nick for the great conversations, the laughs, and for giving me the opportunity to tell some of your story. Some people prefer the beach and the salty air, while others of us, like Nick and me, prefer those amazing mountain views. As always, to all the drivers out there doing the deal, truck safe.
