Show trucks – those big rigs decked out in chrome, custom paint and luxury amenities – have taken center stage. This passionate hobby and competition among custom-truck enthusiasts is gaining greater visibility, thanks in part to the Chrome Shop Mafia’s “Trick My Truck” television program.
And while the program makes truck customization appear to happen in the blink of an eye, it is a bit more complicated than that.
While it is not possible to put a dollar value on the size of this market, according to Kenny McDiarmid, senior sales representative for DuPont, “Ten years ago you hardly ever saw a custom paint job on a heavy-duty truck, but in the last five years it has become more and more popular.”
Many vehicle owners who spend the time and money getting their vehicles customized typically do so to compete in a variety of truck beauty contests held at various trade shows throughout the year.
Customization of these vehicles can run the gamut from special paint treatments, custom fabrication, decorative lights and lots of chrome.
Paint treatments can range from the simple addition of flames to something more elaborate. For example, Robert and Shelley Brinker’s “Legend of the Black Pearl,” a 2000 Freightliner Classic XL, sports graphics and décor that pay homage to Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean” films. The vehicle’s theme is a tribute to the Brinker’s daughter who died in 2005 and who is depicted on the truck in pirate costume alongside Johnny Depp’s Capt. Jack Sparrow character. In the past year, they have added pirate song lyrics to the wheel fenders, as well as more characters from the film. The engine also has been painted to look like a treasure chest.
The truck interior mimics the deck of a pirate ship. The Brinkers have installed television screens throughout the rig that show the Pirates film trilogy.
