TEN FOUR MAGAZINE - TRUCKING ON-LINE MAGAZINE FOR TRUCKERS

FEBRUARY 2004 SHOW & TELL
CHOOSING A THEME
By Roving Reporter Suzanne Stempinski

Pick a show truck, any show truck – look at a bunch of them. As much as they all have things in common, they have just as many differences. One may be a sleek homage to low-rider hot rods; another may look like a rolling aquarium; yet a third might celebrate snow and ice. One of the key elements that makes them identifiable, recognizable, and the winners of top awards, is that their owners picked a theme and carried it out in all aspects of the truck’s development.

As your truck evolves from stock off the lot, ordered just the way you wanted it, or begins the refurbishing process from someone else’s tastes to yours, take some time to think about what you want the truck to reflect. Do you have a hobby that you’re passionate about? Are you a fan of Elvis or music from the 1950’s and 1960’s? Maybe there’s a color combination that just suits your fancy. Is there an event/city/sports team or activity that trips your trigger? Once you decide what your truck’s identity is all about, then everything you do should work to highlight your theme.

Just ask Harvey and Karen Zander. Their second top show truck, Icy Blu II takes the wintry theme they began with their first show truck and makes it more personal. Stainless icicles drip from their doors; snowflake door pulls decorate their interior's cabinets; homemade hooked rugs welcome you. The exterior artwork draws you around, following rabbit tracks through the snow to find their grandson building snow models of their past trucks on one side, while their granddaughter ice skates on the other. Across the back, in a haze with a halo, is Harvey’s daughter who died at an early age. She seems to float above a map of the United States.

Hitting the top of the heap with a Freightliner the first time, and an International the second, the Zanders have plenty of experience developing a theme. “It has to mean something to you,” explains Harvey, “not just be a fad or hot item at the moment. If you don’t believe in it, how do you expect judges or the public to believe in it?” Don’t just walk into the nearest chrome shop and grab one of everything in sight. It will make the chrome shop owner happy, but it may not enhance the appearance of your truck the way you want.

And you don’t have to spend a fortune to give your truck a distinctive look – but you do need to be creative and have a vision of what you want your truck to look like. It may take time – it should take time – you’re making an investment and you want a return on that investment. And you’ll get it – even if you never roll onto the lot of a truck beauty competition. Shippers and receivers may even treat you a little better. In general, well-maintained, good-looking equipment (and an equally clean driver) does make a difference out there.

Another good tip is to look at the lines of your truck. Are they square and boxy? Do they have swoops and curves? Is your hood the definition of looooong? Or is your look more sloped and aerodynamic? Plan your accessories to build on your chosen look.

One thing not to do is to put too many different ideas together. For example, do not have flames, flowers and puppies. You may be a big Harley Davidson fan, and your wife may love puppy pillows and floral sheets, but mixed together on your truck just makes for a cluttered and unfocused look.

Talk to your sign painter or the vinyl shop that’s doing your lettering. Remember that DOT regulations require pertinent information on your truck to be easily visible and a certain minimum size. After that, unless your company has restrictions, you can get creative with type styles or graphics. Instead of the words “Fire Extinguisher Inside” you might want to use a picture. Have a little fun. Put a note on a sleeper door that says, “Dirty Laundry Inside.”

Are you handy with a needle and thread – or is your wife, mother, sister or friend willing to help you with curtains, bedspread or quilt and pillows? Do you have a table you can set?

Are you a Peterbilt enthusiast? Maybe you want to repeat that distinctive oval on everything from your cab and sleeper lights to cutouts on aftermarket parts for your grille screen. Do Kenworth emblems make your world a happier place? Try using them on your breather screens. A proud owner of a Great Dane trailer? Get your hands on some “dog” emblems and use them as mudflap center weights. Think outside the box – look at aftermarket car parts, troll the aisles of your local flea market, talk to friends and friends of friends. Find new uses for existing products. Don’t like the color of your dash? Paint it! Want to change the look of your cabinets? Find door handles or drawer pulls at your local hardware store.

Tie your color scheme together under the hood and around your wiring harness with some loom wrap (which is available in many colors at relatively reasonable prices). Do a little bit at a time and before you know it, you’ll have a lot done!

If you’re getting creative and have extra money to spend, take an element of your design and have it cut into stainless steel. Use it for mud flap weights or pieces to wrap around the back of your cab or sleeper. Have the design cut into a custom bumper and backlight it. Have it painted or embroidered on shirts to wear as you present your truck to the judges.

Need help finding special touches to put the icing on the cake? According to Karen Zander, “All you need to do is plant a teeny, tiny seed and all of your friends will find things that go with that theme.” With snowmen and snowflakes and all kinds of wintry wonders in and around their truck, the Zanders have taken their theme and elevated it to an art form!

Whether your end result is a Picasso or GI Joe, pick something that matters to you and see how far you can go with it. You’ll have fun and the results will be something personal and satisfying. Tune in next time for more tips, tricks and ideas as to how to turn your working truck into a show-worthy ride.