10-4 Magazine March 2022

10-4 Magazine / March 2022 59 I want to take a survey and see who has been duped by some slick snake oil salesman selling a “brand new just on the market, one of a kind, world’s best polish” in the truck stop parking lot? “Now look here, ladies and gents, this product can’t be purchased in any store or online, and it’s only available today and today only. I’m gonna make you a deal.” He just wants to get something to eat and call it a day (or so he says). “Here, let me show you on your truck.” And before you can answer he has already placed the “magic sauce” on your truck and is making small circles in the middle of your fuel tank. The place where the “salesman” rubbed looks far better than the rest of your truck, so now you have to finish the job. Don’t worry, he has one bottle left, and it’s only 25 dollars, a steal at that price, or so he says. What do you do? Pay the man and get to work, right?! Only problem is, as soon as you start working, you quickly realize that it doesn’t look as good as the spot done by the salesman. Yea, he’s gone, and so is your money. Spoiler alert people – it’s not the same stuff. Most of the time it’s nothing more than lighter fluid or mineral spirits, along with some white rouge shaved into a bottle. The product he tested looked the same, but was far more expensive, and had actual cleaning compounds and polishing agents in the mix. Lesson learned. There is more to prepping a vehicle than just shining up the metal parts. There’s also the paint, glass, vinyl, and rubber. If you’re entering a competition, all these areas will be judged for points. If you have a new truck, it doesn’t take much to get it looking great, but if you are using your work horse in rough or extreme conditions regularly, then it’s harder to get it ready for a show. This is especially true coming out of winter when we tend to neglect the rig and just eat miles (show me the money). The most coveted award of any truck show is the Best in Show trophy. In order to compete at that level, you will need to display your engine and expose the wiring, the front axle area, the frame, and everything else. If you run down south on Interstate 10 all winter, your truck might stay clean longer and hold its shine. Now, for the rest of us, not so much. The further north you roam the more severe the conditions. For our Canadian readers, who come down every year, my hat goes off to you. I’m thinking about Jade Transport (the Dyck family) from Manitoba, Canada, and Mr. “King of the Road” aka Pierre Cinq-Mars of Quebec. They don’t just wander south of the border randomly to compete in truck shows, they bring their A-Game all the time, and every time. In order to bring the A-Game you need to stay on top of your finish all year. The best way to do that is to find a shop that specializes in high-end detailing. Get to know the people doing the work and, when possible, hire them. Even if it means making an appointment and/or laying over for the weekend. Most of them will accommodate your schedule or even travel to you to do work. The cost of a motel is still a write-off, as for as the tax man is concerned. The better you condition your equipment, the easier it will be to maintain it. I have been fortunate to know more than one detailer, and recently reached out to one whom I have been impressed with. I really like her work and her “let’s do this” attitude. You read that right, “her” work. Trucking is no longer a man’s world and that means women are doing many of the subset jobs. Who better to accent your ride than a lady who uses eye shadow every day? Ouch, I’m gonna get hate mail for that remark! No, really, I’m talking about bringing the complete package. Most of our 10-4 readers know I hail from the north coast of America near the Canadian border. We truck up here in the Great Lakes region and call the state of Michigan home. That means long and wet (or white) winters. Mixed in that white is salt and road deicer, some coal dust, and maybe even a handful of lava rock, just for good measure. So, how do you save your paint from the corrosive effects all this causes? First, let’s go to someone who lives in the north, upstate New York, to be exact, not too far from Buffalo and the snow belts east of Lake Erie. It doesn’t snow there once in a while – it snows almost all year! Well, not really, but they do get 85 inches of snow a year and an additional 39 inches of rain. That’s way too much moisture to keep your shine on without getting some professional help. Don’t ever believe someone like myself knows everything about all things, because I don’t. I do, however, have a secret weapon when it’s time for my A-Game to step up. One of my secret weapons is Perry Soper of PMS Detailing and Polishing. I have been working on a project for aluminum prep and reached out to Perry for ideas to help ladies handle buffers and grinders easier when working on their trucks. Her first comment was, “Just finding downsized tools can be a challenge unless you know where to look.” Before I asked for her opinion, I didn’t know that was even a thing. I assumed all tools were designed alike. Now I know there is a difference and will be passing that information on to others when asked. Most of my requests for help are for basic “how to” tips for beginners. We have had a number of requests from the ladies, so I have been experimenting with new techniques, trying different ways to reduce strain on my arms and hands. Contrary to popular opinion, not all drivers are 6’-3” and 240 lbs. Some are 5’-2” and, soaking wet, might tip the