NJC Diesel Program Receives Semi-Truck Donation

Shown (l to r) Harv Rober, NJC diesel technology instructor, Justin Mertens, program director and instructor, Daryl Kindvall and sophomore diesel technology students Derek Owens, Justin Heffner, Lars Berglund, John Hanlon, Will Raymond, and Keith Shoemaker. (NJC Photo)

STERLING - Northeastern Junior College diesel technology program received a major donation this month from Daryl Kindvall of Atwood who gifted the program a 1994 Freightliner FLD 120 semi-truck to be used as a functional training aid in the program’s live, working laboratory

Kindvall brought the truck to the program this past fall, challenging the freshman and sophomore students to do some significant repair work on it. After seeing the caliber of the program and the dedication of the students, plus the amount of dollars required to make the needed repairs, he decided instead to donate it as a learning tool for the program. 

“We used it for many of our labs during fall semester and spring semester this year and it has been a great teaching tool,” said Justin Mertens, program director. “It is so much more affective when we have actual vehicles in here to use for hands-on work as opposed to working with some parted out units.”
He said that the truck will help with the teaching of heavy duty steering and suspension, diesel fuel systems, diesel engine, heavy duty powertrains and heavy duty brake instruction.

Kindvall was pleased to help the program through his donation. “I know how important it is for students to have real equipment to work on and I just wanted to offer something that will be of more benefit to the program than it is to me,” he said.

Earlier in April, BTC General Contractors of Loveland, CO donated an Insley track hoe excavator to the program. The program has also recently received a 6.7 liter Cummins engine from Rocky Mountain Cummins.