Trick My Truck
I’ve been watching a series on CMT (Country Music Television for those of you who don’t have cable or have never heard of NASCAR) called Trick My Truck. The premise is that a family member of a trucker who is driving a beat down, torn up, ready for the junkyard big rig calls in and asks CMT and the Chrome Shop Mafia to give the truck a make-over. Now, this isn’t just for truckers who want a nicer looking truck. The episodes I’ve seen involve truckers who have had some bad luck and need a boost of some sort. Duct tape, baling wire, and prayer are all that’s holding these trucks together. Medical bills, no retirement, no money to fix up the truck, and so on. Just like in any industry you know of people who just need a break.
Truckers are the life-blood of the transportation industry. Known as Knights of the Road, they transport everything from one coast to the other, north and south, and all points in-between. They might be local, regional or cross-country. They might truck into Canada and into Mexico, but America could not survive without the services these men and women provide. Remember the days after September 11th? The entire aviation industry was shut down for several weeks. It was the truckers who continued on the road, day after day, transporting what they normally transported as well as what aviation couldn’t.
When they are on the road they live in their rigs and just like you and me, want a decent place to live. My husband was a trucker for several years until his health forced him off the road. He hopes that one day he’ll be able to go back to it again. He loves driving and really misses it. I hope he can; it would really be nice if we could go out together. I’ve even given some thought to getting my own CDL so we can be team drivers.
The Chrome Shop Mafia works out of Bryan’s shop in Joplin, Missouri. They "ambush" the trucker at the local truck stop and, while the trucker is inside, look the truck over. Filming is going on, so they make all the usual remarks about what a pile of junk the truck is and so forth. When the trucker comes out, of course he (and in one case, she) wants to know what these guys are doing. Bryan, the boss, explains that their son, brother, mother, daughter, son, whoever, called in and said they needed help. I’m sure there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes because all you see is that little bit and the trucker turning over the keys. Then there is a short segment with the driver saying they’ve turned over their livelihood over to a group of guys they don’t know and they don’t know what to expect. The trucker is given a loaner rig so they can continue working in the meantime.
The truck is then taken back to the shop where the guys sit around and discuss what they are going to do to the truck. They also give it a name. Inferno, Free Spirit, Open Range, Road Hog, Semper Fi, Ice Breaker, Low Rider and American Classic are the trucks done this season.
And let me tell you, the CSM does a spectacular job! The truck is made over inside and out. Trust me, if you saw any of these trucks rolling down the road, you would know they are not straight out of the Peterbilt or Kenworth factories. They are unique, one-of-a-kind trucks that no one else has.
Bryan is the boss man; he brainstorms with the other guys and comes up with the designs. Scott, the shop foreman, makes sure the job gets done. Ryno can’t be described as anything less than an Artiste with an air gun. His paintwork is outstanding. Rob installs the audio and other electronics. Rob, Kevin, and CB do the fabrication. CMT and vendors donate the materials so that the makeover doesn’t cost the trucker a penny. Even if they wanted to pay, there is no way any of these truckers could possibly pay for what is done to their trucks.
The Chrome Shop Mafia works out of Bryan’s shop in Joplin, Missouri. They "ambush" the trucker at the local truck stop and, while the trucker is inside, look the truck over. Filming is going on, so they make all the usual remarks about what a pile of junk the truck is and so forth. When the trucker comes out, of course he (and in one case, she) wants to know what these guys are doing. Bryan, the boss, explains that their son, brother, mother, daughter, son, whoever, called in and said they needed help. I’m sure there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes because all you see is that little bit and the trucker turning over the keys. Then there is a short segment with the driver saying they’ve turned over their livelihood over to a group of guys they don’t know and they don’t know what to expect. The trucker is given a loaner rig so they can continue working in the meantime.
The truck is then taken back to the shop where the guys sit around and discuss what they are going to do to the truck. They also give it a name. Inferno, Free Spirit, Open Range, Road Hog, Semper Fi, Ice Breaker, Low Rider and American Classic are the trucks done this season.
And let me tell you, the CSM does a spectacular job! The truck is made over inside and out. Trust me, if you saw any of these trucks rolling down the road, you would know they are not straight out of the Peterbilt or Kenworth factories. They are unique, one-of-a-kind trucks that no one else has.
Bryan is the boss man; he brainstorms with the other guys and comes up with the designs. Scott, the shop foreman, makes sure the job gets done. Ryno can’t be described as anything less than an Artiste with an air gun. His paintwork is outstanding. Rob installs the audio and other electronics. Rob, Kevin, and CB do the fabrication. CMT and vendors donate the materials so that the makeover doesn’t cost the trucker a penny. Even if they wanted to pay, there is no way any of these truckers could possibly pay for what is done to their trucks.
Don’t get the idea that you are going to get tips so you can re-do your pickup or van. First, you probably can't afford to do the equivilent to your vehicle that they are doing to this truck. Second, you see what they guys are doing and how they do it, but there’s no time for giving tips and how-to’s. There's some horsing around, but when it's time to get to work, it's get 'em in, get 'em out, and git-r-done (sorry, I couldn't help it!).
If you get a chance, this is a feel-good show to watch. The reactions of the truckers when they see their made-over trucks for the first time is heart-warming. The are so appreciative and you can see that they love what they do and with a made-over truck, they will be really happy to continue transporting all those things we need across the country.
Thumbs up for CMT and the Chrome Shop Mafia!
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