William Belcher This is Me

 Web References

1. 1. Light & Medium Truck Online

   www.ttnews.com/lmt - [Cached]

   Published on: 8/26/2002   Last Visited: 8/26/2002

   According to William Belcher, spokesman with the Smithsonian and translator for Jamil-ud-Din and Haider Ali, the Pakistani artisans who transformed the rig, this truck wouldn't attract attention at all on the roads in Pakistan.
   
   "This type truck is extremely common in Pakistan," said Belcher. "If you spend a week there, you won't even notice them, they are so common. If this truck were any other make, it might look different from the windshield or cab forward, but the cargo section, from cab to rear, is identical to others, even to a new Nissan Diesel out of the factory."
   
   It took ud-Din, Ali and a team of workers about three months to transform an abandoned tank truck into the display model, said Belcher, including about two months to do all the body work and decorations and another month to do the painting.
   
   Such decorations are not limited just to individuals, the equivalent of our owner-operators. According to Belcher, fleet owners decorate their rigs as extensively as this. With a nod toward marketing, they would have their company names spelled out on the panels in Urdu, the national language, instead of the U.S. scenes on the exhibit truck.
   
   "This would represent several years of investment, either by a trucking firm or an individual," said Belcher. "A friend told me once he spends more time with his truck than his wife, so he's going to put more money into the truck."
   
   The Smithsonian owns the truck and is expected to put it on permanent display in one of its museums.