CULTURE CLASH

Today’s hot rod-style show trucks face-off against old-school traditionals

By Carolyn Magner; photos by CR staff

Terry Wier Jr. of Belle, Missouri, slouches against his satin-black 2005 Peterbilt 379 flattop talking with onlookers at the Great American Trucking Show in Dallas last August. They are admiring the bad-ass attitude of this new breed of truck and trucker as he explains the heavy, hunky tandem fenders, low-rider body, monochromatic paint, sleek, minimalist interior, low lighting, suicide doors and outrageously low-drop visor.

“Is that even legal?” asks one trucker, pointing to the squinty-eyed windshield. Wier shrugs: “The truck reflects my personal philosophy in life and trucking.”

It also reflects a popular design trend. This style, often called gangster or outlaw, sharply contrasts with the elaborate, chrome-laden trucks popularized by the more classic, old-school crowd. The styles are equally admired and reviled by both camps, though many trucks have features of both.

HOT ROD LOOK

April Locklear, co-owner of K&L Chrome Shop in Florence, South Carolina, believes the “less-is-more” look extends to her more traditional customers as well as those just starting out.

“There’s a strong demand for simple design with minimal lights, two-color paint jobs, wide stainless panels, no bolt holes, painted, drop visors – a look that’s fresh and modern,” says Locklear, whose husband Kelvin is the boss on CMT’s “Trick my Truck.

Locklear gets dramatically fewer requests for old school touches, such as themes, lots of exterior lights and what she calls “chrome trinkets.”

“We still get the occasional customer who wants a patriotic tribute or a cartoon theme, but for the most part they want the newer style or a mixture of old and new,” says Locklear.

“My personal taste definitely trends toward new school. But I still like old-school features such as shiny pieces of stainless and simply painted flames.”

Rick Boardwine, President and CEO of Bristol Peterbilt in Glades Spring,Virginia, sees a similar trend. He estimates that nearly 90 percent of his customers request painted fuel tanks and minimal exterior lighting while at least 50 percent chose painted drop visors. Most want the low-to-the-ground look of cab and sleeper extensions and heavy fenders.

“My feeling is that the popularity of ‘clean-shaven’ hot rod inspired features will continue growing in popularity with both show truck owners and general customizers,” Boardwine says.

MUTUAL RESPECT

Those features can help win truck show awards, though the charcoal hauler who drives for Struemph Charcoal, also of Belle, doesn’t mind telling his truck’s admirers he wasn’t after a show truck trophy at all.

“My motivation is for someone to look at my truck and say, ‘Holy —-, that’s the baddest truck I’ve ever seen,’” says Weir, waiting to see if he’s shocked the crowd.

“I like the hot rod look, but I can learn from the old timers, too. I respect them and most of them seem to respect me,” says the 42 year-old of his first show experience.

One of those old-timers is Floyd Moore whose classic show-style red Peterbilt is parked next to Wier’s truck. The 69-year-old owner-operator of Cagle Rock Trucking in Russellville, Arkansas, and a first-time truck show participant himself, has been hanging out with Wier and some of the other bad boys of trucking.

He likes their trucks – and their fresh attitude.

“They aren’t afraid to tell it like it is,” he says. They and Floyd might not see eye to eye on style, but there’s mutual respect.

“It’s not an age, it’s an attitude,” explains Moore. “And besides, we are all here for the same reason. We’re proud of our trucks, we work hard and we are working truckers.”

REAL OLD SCHOOL

If Wier’s sleek low-rider is at one end of the spectrum, the well-known entry from Grayling, Michigan’s Bob and Shelley Brinker captures the other end. The Brinker’s 2000 Freightliner Classic XL, Legend of the Black Pearl, uses a pirate theme based on Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean” film trilogy.

Bob Brinker is only six years older than Wier, but has won more than 50 Best of Show awards in six years of truck beauty contests.

He says he’s not impressed with what he classifies as the hot rod trucks or the edgy attitudes of their owners although he does admire the ones who do their own custom work.

Bob Brinker's rig is loaded with graphics, lights and chrome.

Still, he says many make cookie-cutter choices. “They all look the same,” he says. “You take the same kind of truck, paint it all one color, give it a wash and bring it to a truck show. I don’t look twice at them. There’s not much to see.”

In stark contrast there’s plenty to see on the Brinkers’ truck. The pirate motif is used throughout the exterior and interior and includes an almost life-size mural on the hood featuring an image of Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) alongside a likeness of their late daughter, Amie McKnight, in pirate attire.

“It’s meaningful to us and tells a story. The excitement it generates makes it all worth it,” Brinker says.

WINNING WITH DETAIL

The Brinker’s award-winning feat comes with an enormous time requirement; they arrive five to six days before a truck show opens and spend 10 hours a day cleaning, shining and detailing every inch of the truck.

While virtual non-stop prepping for days just before a show is not uncommon for any entrant, old school trucks, with their more intricate features and often-ambitious themes and presentations, can demand more work to be done properly.

“We do what we have to do to win,” Brinker says. “Those [new-school] guys don’t want to get under their truck and use a toothbrush on the U joints or a screwdriver to poke rocks out of the tire treads. The judges notice stuff like that and they give us full points and extra points for our attention to detail.”

Indeed, cleanliness is one of the details judges are trained to notice. Wier, who cruised in the day before the show, learned that when a judge told him there was enough grease under his truck to grease three more trucks.

ROCKING THE STATUS QUO

While individual judges may appreciate the look and style of the new-school trucks, the current point system rewards extra effort such as staging, tire detailing, glitzy lights,  theme-inspired murals and cleaning in the most remote areas.

“If all things are equal, extra effort, no matter how old-school it may appear, still translates into extra points that may win the category,” says Bud Farquhar, who directs the five Pride & Polish shows.

Terry Wier's slammed black beauty

“You can earn full points for a category and not get extra points if you didn’t go to the effort to set your tires or clean under the truck.”

Even with the stray grease, Wier rocked the status quo at the Dallas Pride & Polish when he won four awards, including two Firsts-one being the coveted People’s Choice Award.

“You don’t have to have all the flowers and glitter,” he says. “I’m glad everyone liked it enough to win the popular vote. I think it’s the new attitude; show goers want a lean, tough, smooth-looking truck.”

Meanwhile, the Brinkers have plans to tweak their truck, adding more features and continuing to strive for old-school originality.

“When we’re driving down the highway and see people hang out their car windows taking cell phone pictures of the truck, we get a huge kick out of it,” Brinker says. “That’s the real award.”

Such fan appreciation is the common denominator shared among all custom rig owners whether of the new school gangsta’ mindset or traditional ol’ school.-CR