52 10-4 Magazine / August 2026 The beauty of the American big rig is truly unique. Many of these trucks reflect their owner’s personalities. From the designs of the manufacturers, to how the owners use them and customize them, to the power under the hood. Many trucks have personalities of their own and have become legendary throughout the years. While it’s one thing to see these trucks on display at a truck show, it’s another to capture the essence of their beauty in an artform through photography. As an ongoing series, every few months, 10-4 is going “behind the lens” to talk with some of the amazing people who photograph and showcase the beauty of the American Big Rig in their own unique way. For the third installment of this series, I am going ‘Behind the Lens’ with French-Canadian truck and trucking photographer Sonya Messier. There are photographers who just document trucks, and then there are photographers who transform them into works of art. Among the latter, few names carry as much recognition within the trucking industry as Sonya Messier. For more than two decades, she has earned a reputation for creating striking images that transform heavy-duty trucks from “just another truck on the road,” as many people see them, into photographic works of art, capturing not only a truck’s styling, but also the personality of both the truck and its owner. I recently had the opportunity to get to know Sonya while working on our July 2026 issue featuring the 1974 Mack RS700L painted in the red, white and blue All-American patriotic Mack paint scheme that appeared on our cover. Although I had heard of Sonya and had seen her photos, we had never spoken or met. Thanks in part to our mutual friend Mike Gaffin, who made the introduction, that quickly changed. From our very first conversation, working with Sonya has been an amazing experience. After speaking with her for this feature, I realized this is a common impression she often leaves with both her clients and fellow industry colleagues. Chances are, even if you don’t know who Sonya is, you’ve probably seen one of her photographs. Her work has appeared in advertising campaigns, corporate brochures, calendars, trucking magazines, and promotional materials for some of the trucking industry’s most recognizable manufacturers, including companies like Western Star Trucks, Mack Trucks, Allison Transmission, and NRC Industries (towing), to name a few. In fact, you may already have one of her photographs hanging on your wall and not even realize it. Wondering where Truckapedia: By Mark Harter you might have seen one of her photos? Look no further than the Shell Rotella SuperRigs calendar. Since 2019, Sonya has been the photographer behind the lens, capturing the award-winning trucks featured in one of the trucking industry’s most iconic calendars. Establishing herself as one of the most respected photographers in the trucking industry, Sonya’s journey into photography and trucking had a humble start. “My husband, Claude Boucher, was working for the Canadian trucking publication Transport Magazine. He began as a reporter and quickly became Chief Editor,” Sonya said. “We attended industry events and shows together, and we became well known in the Canadian trucking community. I eventually got involved in selling advertising for the magazine and began taking photographs for the magazine, as well.” Photography soon became more than just taking pictures for a magazine. Driven by a strong desire to continually improve and perfect her craft, Sonya immersed herself in learning every aspect of photography. She taught herself the technical side of the camera, studying aperture, ISO, shutter speed, lighting, and composition to better understand how to create the images she imagined. “I started watching YouTube videos and joined Creative Life, where I took online photography classes,” Sonya said. “One of my biggest influences was Blake Rudis, who taught Adobe Photoshop. Truck photography is really a combination of several different styles. You’re photographing the truck, but you’re also working with landscapes, architecture, and portraits, as well. All of those elements have to come together to create a great image.” Her photography education has not stopped, and Sonya BEHIND THE LENS
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