10-4 Magazine July 2024

14 10-4 Magazine / July 2024 For the past two years, Pickett Custom Trucks has hosted a truck show in conjunction with an NHRDA drag racing event at Firebird Motorspor ts Park in Chandler, AZ. Dubbed as “the biggest show in Arizona” by NHRDA, while that might be true, there are not many shows at all in Arizona, so it might be a bit misleading. However, the first year, without hardly trying, they had about 100 trucks, and this year (2024), held one week before our TFK show at the end of April, they had over 200 trucks on the lot! That’s a big jump. Rod and the crew at PCT make cool custom trophies for the event that are highly sought after. They enjoy doing the show and look forward to doing it again next year. And speaking of shows, Rod and his brother Kevin have recently embarked on another big journey together – a new TV show! Although still in the development phase, filming is scheduled to begin at the end of the year. This new show doesn’t even have a name yet, but it will air on a brand new streaming service to begin soon called Outlaw Television, which is a collaboration between builders and creators Jesse James, Paul Teutul Sr., and Billy Lane. This new streaming service will feature content specifically created for gearheads, and it will be a member-driven network for those who embrace craftsmanship, creativity, and lives devoted to the handmade. You can go to www.jessejames.com and register for free to get on the wait list, like I did. We had a great time hanging out with Rod and Jessica and realized what a laid back and chill guy he really is. I think some might have a preconceived idea about what they think Rod Pickett is like, but I would guess most of them would be wrong – we found him to be friendly, easygoing, fun to talk with, and attentive – and he’s also crazy about trucks. Seriously, he really loves them. He wanted to thank his parents for always being suppor tive, and I would like to thank Ron and Jan Kelsey for taking such great care of us while we were in Arizona. Not wanting his business to grow anymore, Rod is happy with how things are going and hopes to one day soon star t slowing down a bit so he can really take advantage of this cool new RV he built. As a very hands-on owner, Rod still goes in every day and oversees all the projects. Many of Rod’s customers come to him because they want their truck to have that signature “Pickett” look, and he is happy to oblige. That “look” just happens to be his personal style, and it has helped define that “west coast cool” vibe for decades now. Rod Pickett is humble, but proud of everything he has created, and excited for what’s still to come – and so are we! n