Trucking out of a small community can have a funny way of bringing things full circle. Algona, Iowa-based Stan Eimers, owner of Eimers Trucking LLC since 1979, bought the 1978 Peterbilt 352M featured here brand-new, and his brother, Mike, drove it for about a million miles before they sold the unit.
The rig is shown here rolling through downtown Denton during the Peterbilt Pride & Class parade.
This truck was one of two like it that the Eimers owned back then, and the man who came to own the other one “knocked on my door and wanted to know if we wanted to buy a cabover back,” Eimers said. He went down to southern Iowa near the Missouri border and checked it out, but “it was in tough shape. ... On the way home, I told the wife that I’m going to call the guy that bought this here truck” that Mike drove.
Stan (left) and Mike Eimers showed their rebuilt 1978 Peterbilt 352M at the 2025 Peterbilt Pride & Class parade and truck show for Peterbilt employees last fall in Denton, Texas.
Stan would ultimately find Mike's old cabover, but it was in pretty tough shape, too.
It'd been "sitting in a grove for 17 years," Stan said. "We pulled it home and put a battery in it,” but it wouldn't turn over. It sat for about five more years as Eimers rebuilt a 1985 Peterbilt 359 before he turned his attention back to the COE.
The rebuild took about two years with Eimers and some friends and family doing the bulk of the work.
Mechanically, it’s very similar to how it was when Mike sold the unit -- still equipped with the original 400 Big Cam Cummins, on its second rebuild, and a 13-speed.
The most recent engine rebuild, completed since the Eimers reclaimed ownership of the unit, was a matter of a whole lot of time, right from the start. It took them about a month and a half just “to find an overhaul kit for this truck to stay with original Cummins parts,” Stan Eimers said. They could have gone the aftermarket route, he noted, but they wanted to keep it as original as possible.
The crew added a low-leaf air ride suspension on the rear end, along with air ride on the front, to give it a smoother ride. They also stretched the wheelbase by about five feet to 224 inches.
When deciding on how to paint the unit, Stan said he considered putting the original stripes back on it “to be old-school,” but friends talked him out of it.
He settled on the dark green scheme that he’s “really happy with” today.
The rig sports some pinstriping from Lady Lines Pinstriping, featuring a cream color that matches the old Cummins engine color.
The interior is also done in the same cream color to keep the theme consistent throughout.
Eimers’ business today, featuring himself and two leased owner-operators, focuses principally on Pioneer seeds out of his home base, staying mostly local. He works the ’85 359 he rebuilt in fairly recent years during the summer months and may do some short runs with this 352M.
Its trek from Iowa to Denton, Texas, for the Peterbilt event was the first time it had pulled a trailer since the rebuild. Eimers noted it rode pretty well for an almost 50-year-old truck on the trip.
[Related: 'Can't Stop' Pete 389 sports fuel tank subwoofers and an artist's touch]
For custom-equipment features and videos delivered to your email inbox, subscribe to Overdrive's weekly Pride & Polish newsletter via this link and access all videos in the YouTube playlist below.
Stan Eimers: With me, though I've always stayed old-school trucks. We found this truck here seven years ago and pulled it home. Still got the 400 Big Can Cummins in it.
Stan Eimers, we're out of Algona, Iowa. Eimers Trucking LLC. We basically do van hauling, we haul Pioneer seeds. Been doing this since '79, I guess. We found this truck here, you know, seven years ago. We pulled it home and put a battery in it, and it didn't turn over. So took a two-year project with the guys that all did it.
We stretched the frame five feet. Got about a 224-inch wheelbase now on it. I still got the 400 Big Cam Cummins in it.
Overdrive: Is that the engine that came in it?
Stan Eimers: Yes.
Overdrive: OK. Do you know how many times it's been rebuilt through the years?
Stan Eimers: This would be the second time that we know of.
Drivetrain's pretty much that. Although we did put a rear clip on, low leaf air ride on. So help the ride out quite a bit. Did put an air ride addition on to the front axle. So we got air, air, air everywhere on it. And the paint scheme, finally come up with this color. Really happy with it.
Overdrive: Who did the pinstriping on the exterior?
Stan Eimers: Lady Lines was coming through the area, and she did the pinstriping. And the colors, as far as the cream color, that matches the the engine, the old Cummins color. So that's why we picked them colors. And then the interior is the same way. Gentleman that did the interior, we stayed with all the designs as far as the heat embossed on the panels stuff. He stitched all in there and did a heck of a job on it.
Overdrive: And what kind of transmission's it paired with?
Stan Eimers: 13 speed.
Overdrive: Have you worked it since the rebuild?
Stan Eimers: No, I've been to four truck shows basically with it, and this is the first time it's been a trailer hooked on to it, so.
Overdrive: Do you plan to work at it all in the future?
Stan Eimers: Yeah, there will be some short runs with it and see how she handles. I know it rides better with a trailer on now. That front air ride was a little a little bit wobbly, but bobtail, and the trailer really helped out.
