Who said devoting a truck to hauling fertilizer on the farm had to be expensive? Randy Overman and his son, Aaron, Peru, haul fertilizer in an older model truck that still does the job. In fact, it’s already seen its 50th birthday.

“We have a 1964 International diesel truck with a fertilizer tender mounted on the back,” Randy says. The truck allows them to haul fertilizer and keep applicators running without having a lot of money tied up in an expensive vehicle.

APPLY FERTILIZER IN STYLE: Randy Overman found an inexpensive truck to haul fertilizer on the farm. His son and son-in-law made it a novelty in the neighborhood.

When it’s dry enough in the fall and field conditions allow, the Overmans strip-till at least some of their fields. One of the advantages of strip-till is being able to apply broadcast-type fertilizer in the same pass. They typically apply phosphorus and potassium in the fall based on soil test recommendations for each field.

The tender truck provides a way to keep fertilizer supplied to the field during strip-tilling, Randy notes.

According to Wikipedia, International Harvester introduced the Loadstar series of trucks in 1962, and they were produced through 1979. They were available in both gasoline and diesel models. Eventually, when International Harvester was purchased by Tenneco, Navistar Corp. was spun off as the truck division.

No one in Miami County has any trouble recognizing this 1964 International diesel when it’s on the road. When the Overmans  obtained the truck, Aaron and his brother-in-law decided it was in need of a paint job. Rather than just paint it back to its original colors, they decided to paint it in honor of their favorite football team: the Indianapolis Colts. The truck is Colts blue with a white tender fertilizer bed. They even added a Colts helmet on the doors as a finishing touch. Who says farming can’t be fun?

“They kind of pulled this one over on me,” Randy quips. “I’m a Green Bay Packers fan, but I let them have their fun.”