10-4 Magazine June 2022

Truck Show Report: By Stephanie Haas Truck shows have been around for years, and the ones that have the longevity behind them have become something of a hotspot for those to attend. 75 Chrome Shop in Wildwood, FL is one of those hotspots, not only because it is off of I-75 for easy access, but their show falls at the end of April every year, making this a nice show for many to attend to enjoy plenty of sunshine and shiny trucks after a long, cold winter. 2022 marked the 24th annual 75 Chrome Shop Truck Show and a chance to see a variety of trucks, including many you would have encountered if you went to the Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS) in Louisville, KY in March. This year’s show, held on April 22-24, was presented by SH Tube out of Corbin, KY. Along with SH Tube, a special thanks from 75 Chrome Shop goes to this year’s sponsors: Dynaflex Products, Trux Accessories, Haizer USA, PDI, Realwheels Corp., 12 Ga. Customs, Diesel Life, and Iowa Customs. I arrived in Florida on Monday, April 18th, to prepare to photograph the trucks that were coming in, as well as the owners and drivers that were already on the lot prepping their trucks. With plenty of sunshine, no one could’ve asked for better weather. Yes, for those not used to the heat, it was hot, but it was the type of weather those in colder states seek out this time of year. As the week progressed, trucks continued to roll into the chrome shop’s parking lot. By Thursday, April 21, the parking lot was officially marked for show truck parking only. David Farkus and his parking crew set in motion with their plan for parking all the trucks and they did so with most of the registered trucks already on the lot. The layout of the parking lot was nothing shor t of amazing, with the strategic and uniform placement of each truck. This show is always a great time with not only registered trucks coming in from all over, but the number of spectators that attend each year, as well. There wasn’t a bad truck in attendance, and what a great group of owners and drivers that were there. Don Wood of DSD Transpor t out of Denmark, WI came down with three of his trucks, and Hallahan Transpor t of LaCrosse, WI had a presence there with seven of their trucks. Josh Burch of East Texas Truck Center gave adults and children alike something to behold with the addition of an actual fish tank, mounted in his engine compar tment, with some beautiful (and real) fish swimming inside it! 62 10-4 Magazine / June 2022 SUNSHINE & SHINY TRUCKS Friday, April 22, was busy with spectators and drivers milling around the lot taking in all the trucks that were there. What we all saw on Friday was just the preliminary of the people that would be on the lot that evening for the light show and what we could have only imagined for Saturday, which is always the day everyone comes to the show. The vendors, including 75 Chrome Shop, saw their share of crowds and steady sales, making this show a success for everyone. Phones and cameras definitely didn’t take a rest at this show, with not only photos and videos taken to commemorate the event, but heavy posting on social media, as well. Chris Fiffie from Big Rig Videos, accompanied by his son Nicolai, were in full force gathering images and video content to give his viewers plenty of insight about the goings-on during the show. The last day of the show was Sunday, April 24, with the end of the show being drawn to a close with the shor t awards ceremony (only two trophies are awarded at this fun event). Josh