The red hair, the big smile, the videos, and of course the amazing truck art – these are just some of the things that encompass the woman that is Miss Flatbed Red. This 35-year-old gal resides in Findlay, OH, a thoroughfare for many trucks to pass through, and a location that keeps her fairly close to most of the vintage ATHS shows she attends. Whether by plane, car, or in her single axle 1980 Peterbilt 352 factory box truck, you can find her wandering the grounds at a show. Like some of us, she doesn’t come from a trucking background, and like artists of every style, she started out doing portrait and pet drawings, which is something she had done since forever. She studied music in college, but was drawing throughout that time, so much so that her music teacher even said she should be an artist. In search of her niche in drawing, everything changed when she drew that first truck – and she hasn’t looked back since. Some may wonder how this young lady came up with the handle “Miss Flatbed Red” – it was a week or two process, searching for a website domain that would incorporate an old school pinup style vibe. The closest to any truckers in her family was her father who, after retiring from the police department, obtained his Class B CDL and drove a box truck for a few years. Even though she didn’t need a CDL to operate her historically plated 352, she obtained her CDL in November 2022. Flatbed Red has been married to her husband Chris since 2016 and together they have three cats, including one named Transtar Rose, because she dreamed of having a model 4070B or 4300, but got a cat instead. As she humorously stated, “My jobs are people’s hobbies,” which includes piano lessons and teaching couples how to dance. All her artwork is commissioned, and she used to draw at shows, completing each piece in roughly two hours. This gal came into contact with our very own John Testa at the 2019 ATHS National Convention in Reno, NV but was unable to speak for an interview because she had lost her voice. There was an article done on her by Kim Jaikes in March 2020 where Flatbed Red also submitted some images to accompany the article. That was just the beginning of contributions, as she has contributed every month since April 2020 in her feature “Red’s Rides” where she showcases some of her completed truck art. Her favorite type of truck shows are the ones without any awards because the atmosphere is calm and relaxed. In her eyes (and many others), truck people are the best people. When asked about her involvement in the magazine, she said, “It’s really frickin’ cool! It feels really special to be a part of something as big at 10-4 Magazine.” She enjoys being able to refer people to the magazine. We appreciate you Miss Flatbed Red and we are happy you are part of the 10-4 family! Thank you for the amazing artwork you contribute to our beloved magazine every month!
