Woman’s military-themed truck is tribute to family’s service

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Updated Nov 8, 2017
Jenni Kebler and her military-inspired truck.Jenni Kebler and her military-inspired truck.

Jenni Kebler’s blue 2017 International Lonestar Skyrise is a rolling tribute to the American military. The truck is covered with decals honoring current military service members and veterans, and was inspired by her husband Robert’s military service, and the service of Robert’s father. They served in the Navy.

Jenni owns and operates the truck with Robert. The two own Diamond View Carriers, Inc., and haul mostly air freight. and have homes in both California and Washington.

Robert and his father both served in the military, and he and Jenni wanted their truck to pay tribute to their service and the service of others. The decals include one featuring the Vietnam Wall and another with the saying “All Gave Some, Some Gave All,” among others.

“It’s pretty awesome that when we stop at a fuel island or anywhere, drivers will just stop and they’ll look,” she said. “We’ve actually had a couple of drivers in tears looking at the truck and some of them are just jaw-dropped, walking around, looking at the honor that’s given them all over the truck. People in general driving by give us thumbs up and honk horns.”

The Keblers drive a 2017 International Lonestar Skyrise. The truck is not actually available to dealers, Jenni says. She estimates there are around 100 or fewer similar units on the road.The Keblers drive a 2017 International Lonestar Skyrise. The truck is not actually available to dealers, Jenni says. She estimates there are around 100 or fewer similar units on the road.

At a Washington DOT scale, the two were red-lighted. At first they thought “Uh-oh,” but when the DOT officer came out she said she recognized one of the decals on their fuel tank as being a tour she’d been involved in. It was the same tour Robert was in.

“She actually red-lighted us so she could come out and speak with us and speak with my husband, and just exchange their stories. That was an honor in itself,” Kebler said.

When they were first designing the truck’s decals, they wanted them to flow from one idea to the other and look presentable.

“We didn’t want it to look like bumper sticker heaven on the truck all over the place,” Kebler said.

It took some tweaking at first, but they’re happy with the way the truck has turned out. They may add more murals and decals in the future.

Kebler first became interested in trucks as a teenager working on her own cars. She’d drive to different places to get parts, and her mom told her to “quit galavanting the country.” When she got her CDL in 1993 and started trucking, she called her mom to tell her she’d found her niche in the world.

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“Now I get to galavant the countryside and get paid for it, so she thought that was pretty cool,” Kebler said.

Kebler’s success in the trucking industry has included placing at two different state truck driving championships and publishing a novel based on one of her trips. She placed third in the 5-Axle Division at the 2004 Washington State Truck Driving Championships. In 2014, she placed third in the 5-Axle Sleeper Division at the Utah Truck Driving Championships.

Her book, “And They Came as an Army,” published in June of this year. It’s the story of a scary trucking trip she took with her daughter, Rachel, into Canada.

The cap of the truck features a Vietnam Wall tribute and the words 'All gave some...Some gave all.' 'It's one of those monuments that just grips your heart,' Kebler said.The cap of the truck features a Vietnam Wall tribute and the words "All gave some...Some gave all." "It's one of those monuments that just grips your heart," Kebler said.

A side profile of the Keblers' truck.A side profile of the Keblers' truck.

Robert was in the 82nd Airborne Division and fought in Grenada. The decals on the fuel tank pay tribute to that.Robert was in the 82nd Airborne Division and fought in Grenada. The decals on the fuel tank pay tribute to that.

The Keblers went with an eagle design to alert people that they have a dash cam.The Keblers went with an eagle design to alert people that they have a dash cam.

An eagle emblem is on the hood of the truck.An eagle emblem is on the hood of the truck.

This decal is a tribute to Kebler's mother, who lost her battle to cancer. She'd written this note in her bible. 'It held so much meaning to her that we captured a photo of it. Later it would become a memorial decal on our truck so Mom could be with us always,' Kebler said.This decal is a tribute to Kebler's mother, who lost her battle to cancer. She'd written this note in her bible. "It held so much meaning to her that we captured a photo of it. Later it would become a memorial decal on our truck so Mom could be with us always," Kebler said.

The decals on the hood of the truck bring people in for a closer look, Kebler says.The decals on the hood of the truck bring people in for a closer look, Kebler says.