number three

BY PEYSON SHIELDS

For Joe and Nicolle Arsenault, picking a theme for their truck was a no brainer.

“If we were going to design our truck, it had to be Dale Earnhardt Sr. themed,” says Joe, an Owner Operator for Prime’s Refrigerated Division. “My wife, Nicolle, and are huge fans.”

The love of NASCAR runs deep for the Arsenaults. Both Joe and Nicolle have raced recreationally. “I got my first race car when was ust months old icolle says. “We called it the Nickelodeon.”

After a lifetime of loving the sport, it made perfect sense the couple would use NASCAR as the backbone for the design of their first truc . That was more than three years ago, and now they have a new truck and a new design. This time around, the design honors Dale Earnhardt. “I get a lot of looks, waves and people slowing down to take pictures,” Joe says. “I have even had people follow the truck to truck stops to ask if they can ta e pictures. is first truc ’s design was so popular it even made it to a race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

While the design’s recognizable theme is bound to catch your eye, it’s a small decal that draws the most meaning for Joe and Nicolle. “The side window is my favorite part,” Joe says. “Nicolle’s dad passed away earlier this year, and he was a big part of our lives.” A cursive decal with her dad’s name, James Harper, is thoughtfully placed on the sleeper cab window.

“We called him our ‘Weather Man,’” Nicolle says. “He would watch our route and let us know the weather and what to e pect with traffic. t means a lot to have made him part of this design.” When Joe and Nicolle ordered the truck, they talked through the design with James. It’s clear his memory is on the road with Joe and Nicolle through every storm and detour.

BOLD DESIGN 

The front hood is draped in a checkered ag decal to represent winning the race and crossing the finish line. This portion of the design was from an idea Nicolle’s dad, James Harper, came up with.

 TRUE FANS

The bottom of the truck side features The Intimidator in bold, block lettering. “If was going to have a Dale arnhardt r. theme it was only fit ting to include his nickname,” says Joe. “We had to have the name on there!”

 IN LOVING MEMORY

To honor Nicolle’s dad, who passed away in 2022, the couple added James’ name to the design of their truck. James helped create the final design of the Arsenaults’ truck.