The 31st annual Brooks Truck Show was held this year as a tribute to Frank Merrill – the longtime manager and producer of the event. Shortly after the record-breaking 2023 Brooks Truck Show was held last year, we got the shocking news that Frank had passed away suddenly in his sleep on October 25, 2023. This year’s show, held again on the grounds of Powerland Heritage Park in Brooks, OR on August 23-24, 2024, did not break any records like last year, but it was still a very special event we were so glad to be a part of.
Flying into Portland, OR on Friday morning with my son Parker, we at 10-4 Magazine did not have a booth at the Brooks Truck Show this year. Instead, we opted to just ride around in the golf cart, take pictures, talk to people, and help out wherever needed. Big thanks go out to Jerry Crume and Nick Pouch, who jointly took over Frank’s duties as show chairman, for making us feel welcome and providing us with a golf cart for the weekend – and not just ANY golf cart, it was Frank’s old cart. I would also like to thank Judy Dovre and Craig Vogel for all their hospitality, as well. It seems the show is still in good hands.
Besides some rain showers on Friday afternoon and early evening, the weather was perfect. We were expecting it to be very smoky from all the fires burning at that time nearby, but there was none to speak of – it was nice and clear. After getting settled on Friday afternoon and saying some “hellos” to our friends, we headed out to a nice dinner with the folks at Schott Parts & Accessories, our friend Ray Lucas from Valley Chrome, and several others. We always look forward to this fun Friday night get together to enjoy each other’s company, talk trucks, and eat some great prime rib!
After dinner we headed back to the show grounds for the “Night Glow” light display and competition. Being the middle of summer and up in the Pacific Northwest, it didn’t get dark until almost 9:00 PM, so there was no rush to finish our dinner quickly. Back at the show, we were asked to help Cory of Schott Parts & Accessories choose the winners for the light show. Driving around and taking all our pictures, we also secretly “interviewed” possible winners, asking them about their truck and their business. In the end, 1st place went to Colten Wold of Arlington, WA and his magenta 1999 Pete 379. The 2nd place trophy went to PGH Excavating from Enumclaw, WA and their stellar white and blue 2025 Kenworth W900L heavy haul truck and matching trailer.
After sleeping in a bit because, why not, we didn’t have a booth, Saturday morning was absolutely beautiful. Once we got to the show grounds, it was back into the golf cart, and back to taking pictures and talking to people (two of my favorite things to do). Every year the show features a particular make of truck, and this year it was Peterbilt. The way this show is set up, most of the antiques park in one area, in the trees, and most of the working trucks park “across the tracks” out in a wide open field. Then, the featured brand of truck gets its own grassy area across from the vendors, and you can just imagine how crowded this Peterbilt area was!
One of the highlights of the show was to continue Frank’s tradition of collecting Teddy Bears for distribution to children’s hospitals and other charity organizations at Christmas time. This year, they received a whopping 203 bears, which will be distributed this winter to children in Frank’s honor. It was also decided, after such a great response, they will continue to collect bears at future truck shows. To further remember Frank, they parked his black and orange 1982 Freightliner cabover, which he built to honor his father’s love of the OSU Beavers, right in front of the main museum building for all to see.
With about 380 trucks parked all over the show grounds, along with a handful of vendors, there was plenty to see and do. In addition to so many cool antiques, there were a bunch of standout working trucks, as well. A few that deserve some recognition include the previously mentioned magenta-colored 1999 Peterbilt 379 owned by Colten Wold. Not only did this recently rebuilt truck win Best Lights on Friday night, but it also won the Best Antique award on Saturday. This truck was plain and simple, but something about it just grabbed my attention. Another popular rig was a cream and orange 2023 Pete 389 and matching flatbed owned by Mike Mileham of Bella Vista, CA. His clean combo took home the 1st place trophy in the Working Truck class, while the white and yellow 2024 Peterbilt 389 tanker owned by Hays Hauling out of Medford, OR took 2nd place.
As usual, there were some cool trucks that caught my eye that did not get any trophies, and one of them was a metallic green 2018 Peterbilt 389 owned by Troy Lathrop of Lathrop & Company in Enumclaw, WA. This truck had a classy interior, with a painted (flamed) floor, and outlined flames on the front fenders. Another nice setup was Josh Robert’s gray and black 2004 Pete 379, hooked to a polished curtain van, out of Bonney Lake, WA. Josh gave me an entire tour of the truck and told me all about its history. Thanks for taking the time to share, Josh. Two others that I liked were a black 1981 Kenworth W900A owned by Jason Kartes of Grants Pass, OR, and an old black and white KW log truck (possibly a 1955), which had several blacked-out pieces, including the wheels.
After the folks at Schott Parts & Accessories announced the winners of their raffle prizes and then handed out the few trophies they sponsored on Saturday afternoon, the trucks started leaving at a slow but steady pace. Some folks stuck around until Sunday morning and continued to enjoy the weekend, while others took the opportunity to get home early. With no particular place to go, we hung around and chatted with friends until it got dark, then headed out by ourselves for some dinner, and then back to the room for a good night’s sleep.
Trucks and truck shows are fun, but it’s the people that make it awesome and memorable. We enjoyed visiting with Bryan Welsh (and his two rambunctious kids), Trevor and Alicia Hardwick, Clyde and Melody Green, Blayne and all our new friends at AAMODT Inc., Leon Murillo, Cory, Curtis and Denise from Schott, “Big Ed” Davis, Bill Frampton, the Velasquez brothers from SoCal, and so many others. I would like to thank my son Parker for coming to the show with me and helping – it was a lot of fun just the two of us hanging out together for a few days on the road.
And just like that, the 2024 Brooks Truck Show was over. Next year’s event will feature Freightliner trucks, so polish up your iron and plan on returning – and don’t forget to bring a Teddy Bear (or two) as an ongoing tribute to Frank, who may be gone, but will never be forgotten. Let’s keep this show going and growing, year after year, and show Frank how much he meant to all of us and how much he is truly missed. One thing is for sure, he had the best seat in the house this year, as I’m sure he enjoyed that amazing overhead view of the light show from up in heaven!
