10-4 Magazine / April 2026 31 an actual article along with photos for a trial run at a story.” Needless to say, that first submission was a success and Chad has contributed articles periodically to 10-4 from time to time over the years. Improving his gear a few years later, upgrading to a Canon 70D, Chad also won the 4 State Truck’s Guilty By Association Truck Show (GBATS) photo contest. “That show opened up a lot of doors for me. I began getting called for private photo shoots across the country, along with growing my brand, ‘Chad Violet Pictures’ on various social media platforms,” said Chad. After going through a divorce in 2020, Chad sold his trucking company and began doing his photography deal full-time, traveling from Key West to California and back, and everywhere in between. It has taken Chad all across the United States, shooting owner operators, fleets, corporate contracts, doing event coverage at shows, features, covers and more. By this time, Chad had developed an established style of photography that he was being called for, with rolling shots being the most popular request, along with full shoots on location. In 2022, Chad accepted a position with RoadWorks, driving their show truck, to events across the country. This sparked a lot of attention because people only knew Chad for being “the camera guy” and nothing about his 40 years of experience in the industry. “Driving the RoadWorks rig gave me the opportunity to network and shoot even more trucks because of the 35-40 shows that we would attend every year,” said Chad. During that time, Chad took a step back from contributing to any publications and focused on building his ‘Chad Violet Pictures’ brand. However, opportunity knocked again at the end of 2025. Resigning from RoadWorks, Chad accepted a position with Rod Pickett at Arizona based Pickett Custom Trucks (PCT). “Rod and I had been talking for a few years, and in October of 2025, we had our last discussion and put together a deal that had me moving from Dayton, Ohio to Buckeye, Arizona,” said Chad. When one chapter closes, another one opens. “I’m excited,” said Chad, adding, “This move (which he made with his fiancé Amanda) will allow me to further grow Chad Violet Pictures, and the year-round nice weather in Arizona is conducive to photography, along with adding more of the west-coast trucking vibe into my portfolio.” No matter where Chad is shooting trucks, “The Camera Guy” behind the lens will continue to capture the beauty of the American Big Rig. And, along with working as a fabricator at Pickett, helping to run their new chrome shop, and promoting PCT on social media and other marketing channels, Chad will also
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