One thing truckers and Texas have in common is the cowboy image, and John Schmitz capitalized on that with his cowboy-themed “Saddle Up.” Paul Hartley of ADD Media photographed the 2000 Peterbilt 379 at Dallas nightclub landmark Gilley’s, which then offered mechanical bull rides for would-be cowboys. The truck portrait appeared as the October entry in the 2006 Overdrive’s Pride & Polish calendar.
“I loved horses and being around cattle,” said Schmitz at the time. He once worked two years as a cowboy. “Then I figured there had to be an easier way to make a living, so I picked truck driving.”