10-4 Magazine June 2022

Special Feature: By Eric Hill Along our journey in life, we meet people who leave an indelible impression on us, especially after we get to know them. We sometimes have preconceived notions about these people, particularly if they are young. I recently had that experience with Mason Schwake (25). I first met Mason at the Dirty Business Truck Show in Grand Mound, IA the summer of 2020. It was early during the Covid-19 pandemic, and there were not a lot of public events occurring then, especially trucking shows. Fortunately, there were some truck shows happening in the Midwest that 10-4 Magazine was able to attend – Dirty Business was one of those shows. And while there, I got to meet the future of trucking! As many of you may know, I’m kind of partial to red trucks, so when I saw Mason’s Viper Red 2021 Peterbilt 389, it got my attention. Mason’s truck was one of many at the Dirty Business Truck Show that really caught my eye. I spoke to Mason during this event and commented on how much I liked his truck. About a year later, in September 2021, I had the opportunity to do a photo shoot of the truck. Mason had his Pete at the No Coast Large Car Truck Show in Britt, IA. After that event, I drove to Tripoli (pronounced Trip-o-la, not Trip-o-lee) to meet with Mason and take these pictures of his Viper Red rig. As much as I would like to jump right in and tell you all about Mason’s beautiful ride, I think it’s important to tell you more about Mason’s background, his family, and upbringing in Tripoli. It’s a good lead into what trucks, trucking, and farming mean to him. Mason was born December 27, 1996, in Waterloo, IA, about 30 miles south of Tripoli. Mason is one of two children born to Dennis and Cheryl Schwake. His parents have been married for over 30 years. Mason has an older sister, Jena, who lives and works in Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN. Raised on a 1,500-acre farmoutside of Tripoli, Mason and his father work the farm growing corn and soybeans, which are primary crops found in Iowa and the Midwest. There is a long history to the Schwake farm. It is what’s considered a Centennial Farm, recognized by the Iowa Farm Bureau. His family immigrated 70 10-4 Magazine / June 2022 THE FUTURE OF TRUCKING