Learn more about The Nancy.
A chat with Inventor and Flat Bed Trucker, Dave Johnson
OK Dave, Why is it called The Nancy?
When we first started the business, I didn’t know what to name it. So I decided to make it a contest for my grandkids and my grand nieces and nephews. I told them somebody could win $50.00 if they submitted a name for my invention and grandpa picked it. I guess $50 wasn’t enough because, among my nephews, nieces, and 7 grandchildren, not one of them offered a name for my design.
In the meantime, my parents passed away, and my two sisters and I decided to scatter their ashes in Puget Sound from a boat. We invited all of the immediate family to join us. There were about 30 of us on the boat. At one point, somebody asked me, “Hey, did you ever come up with a name for your invention?” And I said, “Nope. I hadn’t come up with a name quite yet.” Then my younger sister said, “Why don’t you name it after me?” And for some reason, “Nancy” stuck with me right away. It reminded me of when I was little, trying to throw a ball, and someone called me a sissy. “Nancy” sounded a heck of a lot like the word ‘sissy’. Of course, if you’re gonna be a sissy, you’re gonna put on a pink skirt.
So that’s how it all kind of came together. “The Nancy” is named after my younger sister.
I consider myself to be a guy that’s just had a blessed life. My dad was an engineer for Boeing airlines. Our family also had a mink farm at that time in Washington State. So, thanks to my parents, I’ve always had a good work ethic. When I was in junior high, my parents sold the farm and moved to Palo Alto, California, with Boeing. We moved a few more times before we found ourselves in Minnesota, experiencing the shock and entertaining moments of moving from California to Minnesota. After graduating, I got married, had children, and joined Exide Corp. I moved to Colorado. I worked with Exide Corp/Enersys and Rocky Mtn Battery for many years.
I really wanted to get back to Minnesota, where my boys were., I went into the material handling industry and had an office in Sioux Falls and one in Fargo. I then finally settled back in Minnesota.
At this point, I thought I might be too young to retire and decided I wanted to drive a truck. I went to North Dakota State College of Science and took a few classes. I wanted to get into the Transportation business. One day, I stopped in at a nearby flatbed truck company and asked if they were hiring. The man said, “Only if you have experience.” Which I did not. But I told him I was a good guy, and the owner gave me a chance and put me on the road, and that’s where I invented The Nancy.
I’m now semi-retired, and I plan to get The Nancy to as many flatbed truckers as I can to make it easy for them to throw straps over their loads.