Blackfoot man to have truck featured on History Channel show

A Blackfoot man will be featured on an upcoming episode of History Channel’s ‘Truck Night in America’. But his story goes beyond the four-wheeler.

“Its an addiction, I just can’t stop,” Daniel Siler said. “That’s just what I like.”

Ever since he was a child, Siler has loved trucks. It’s a devotion that led him to become a mechanic and eventually to building his own trucks.

After watching the first season of the History Channel show, Siler was inspired to apply for the second.

“So I applied, but they only pick 50 trucks nationwide, they pick per season. So it’s not a lot,” Siler explained.

But, against the odds, Siler’s most recent project, a ’94 Ford Ranger which he spent the better part of two years turning into a rock crawler, was selected for the show.

But, it wasn’t the truck alone that made Siler stand out.

“They like to have a background story,” he said. “That’s how you partly get picked, is they want a good background story.”

Siler’s story is a difficult one. Last January, he was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis, a genetic disease that affects the spine and other joints. Additionally, he’s suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fatty Liver Disease.

“I mechaniced for a living and the doctor told me I had to stop because I was getting joint deformities, it was so bad,” Siler said. “I wasn’t able to work, lost my job.”

One day, History Channel called and sent Siler and his truck to Georgia for five days to film the episode. A once in a lifetime opportunity for Siler.

“It was a good experience because I’ve just gotten worse. Probably 90 percent of the time I use a cane to walk around,” he said.

The truck, now sitting in his driveway, is almost therapeutic.

“Honestly, whenI’m in the truck, I don’t think about the pain. I don’t, I’m just enjoying myself and doing what I love,” he said.

“It’s a great accomplishment. I’ll go out and just look at it. Just go out and say “yeah, it’s done,” you know. It started out as a small idea and I didn’t think it’d ever grow into what it is now,” Siler explained.

With his episode just about a month away, Siler is eager to find out how it all came out.

“I’m pretty stoked. Part of me is nervous ’cause I don’t want to look like a dumb-dumb on TV,” he joked.

Siler plans to have family and friends over to watch the big premiere on March 14, when the episode will air at 8 p.m. on the History Channel.