Making your lorry a comfortable living space is only natural when you spend more time there than at home. Did you know, however, that some of our nation’s truck drivers have added chic portable refrigerators, cookers, and even Christmas trees to make their trucks more appealing?
Truck accessories and truck beautification are a significant commercial sector in the US; in fact, in February of last year, the cable channel CMT debuted “Trick My Truck,” a trucking-themed spinoff of the popular MTV program “Pimp My Ride.”
In the program, the Trick My Truck team surprises a deserving truck driver and upgrades their worn-out vehicle. By adding truck accessories with designs and extras reflective of each truck driver’s individual needs and preferences, they hope to transform each driver’s vehicle. Because of how well-liked the show is, a spin-off has been created. The show, called “Trick My Trucker,” gives truck drivers a makeover by having beauty experts trim their beards, dye their hair, and help them get in shape.
The road for UK truckers to catch up with their transatlantic friends is now in good shape. The majority of our truck drivers are just as eager to spruce up their vehicles with cutting edge gadgets and lorry accessories, even though they may not have as much distance to travel (at least not all at once). Because “it can get lonely out there on the road on your own,” one Birmingham truck driver told me that he had recently installed a Christmas tree with fairy lights.
In the meantime, technology like sat navs, laptops, and mobiles have become commonplace and are frequently connected to one another and to specific docks. CV radios and PDAs connected to flat-screen monitors for convenient reading are essential. Some truck drivers have fancy TVs with built-in DVD players and Freeview installed in their cabs, along with specially crafted aerials. New must-have lorry exterior accessories include chrome steps, air horns, and spotlights.
The creature comforts, however, are the most in-demand lorry accessories. As well as plush sheepskin seat covers and air-conditioned seats, deluxe travel amenities like refrigerators, microwaves, toasters, and portable cookers with pots, pans, and utensils are becoming more and more common.
One experienced truck driver I spoke to set up a set of shelves with books about the best coffee shops, best truck stops, and other necessary reading material for the modern trucker to give the space a real living room feel.
When our truck drivers decide it’s time to exhibit their creations, they head to “Truckfest.” Each of the six annual Truckfest events, which are held throughout the UK, has drawn thousands of attendees each year for 25 years. Many display their stunning show trucks at the event, which has been dubbed “an image booster for the road haulage industry.”
So ladies, say goodbye to those awful hubcaps because our truck drivers are bringing their vehicles up to date with a variety of glitzy new amenities and plush accessories.