Last month, dozens of truckers gathered under the Southern California sun for a contest that has become a heavily anticipated annual event. They cleaned thousands of miles of grime from the sides, the bottoms and even the mud flaps of their working trucks. They polished rock-nipped chrome bumpers, waxed faded murals and even painted the lettering on their tires.
The trucks, which must average more than 80,000 miles a year, looked good, and some, along with their owners, found their way into the 2003 Rotella SuperRigs Calendar – a pinup that only recognizes trucks and truckers who work for a living.
We’d like to say hats off to all those truck drivers who scraped their knees on the hot asphalt or broke their backs polishing their rims. And hats off to Shell and the Rotella crew for recognizing these super truckers and their rigs for the past 20 years.
Rotella SuperRigs has become a significant industry event because it recognizes the rigs
for what they are: hard-working trucks. Show trucks need not apply.
For two decades, the Rotella SuperRigs contest has required entrants to show their odometer, and trucks that haven’t run the miles don’t make the cut. While there are beautiful show quality trucks in the contest, those trucks have earned their right to be there. They’re work trucks even though they shine like glitter in the sun. Those rigs have a chance to win prizes in the beauty show contest, and they also get a shot at being a star in the Rotella SuperRigs calendar.
The calendar, a favorite among truck drivers, showcases rigs at sites near the contest. This year’s pinups will be featured with all the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles. Calendars will be available at the end of 2002 and can be ordered through www.rotella.com or www.etrucker.com. While the contest is great fun for the participants, most truckers say getting into the calendar is their real motivation for coming out. The calendar affords instant celebrity to both the truck and its owner.
This is an industry of hard work. This event recognizes and celebrates that. You can check out all the participants on eTrucker.com and full coverage of the event will be in the August issue of Truckers News.
