10-4 Magazine October 2021

Truck Show Report: By Tim & April Sieben 103-degree heat Red Bluff had to offer, along with plenty of smoke and haze in the air from nearby wildfires, but that didn’t slow anyone down. Well, it might have slowed them down, but it didn’t stop them! Watching these guys prep their trucks was amazing – they made it look easy. Most of them had obviously done this many times before, and they all seemed to have some kind of “system” they followed. Fairly new to truck shows, I was surprised to see the tool that seemed to be a hot commodity for the weekend – a cordless leaf blower. Due to all the ash floating in the air, that eventually settled With the 2021 truck show season in full swing, not to mention fire season, we headed to a smoky Red Bluff, CA for the 1st Annual Frenchy’s Truck Jamboree. Held at the Tehama County Fairgrounds about 130 miles north of Sacramento on August 13-14, it was a hot weekend. For me, this was another “First Annual” truck show. These new shows are fun to watch as they come together, getting to know the organizers, and witnessing their rapid growth regarding organizational skills, stress management, wisdom, and issue resolution. Hosting his first show ever, Erik Vaillette did a great job. Before anything else, let’s give a quick explanation of how and why this new show came to be. Truck driver Erik Vaillette organized this show as a benefit for Rene LaChance – a friend and fellow truck driver that was paralyzed after falling backwards off his truck five years ago. Now 67 years old, Rene has been trucking since age 13, first working with his father, then later owning his own company, called Frenchy’s Motor Service, in honor of his grandfather. At one point, Rene had 18 trucks. After many endeavors, Rene decided to stick to working with just one truck and that is what he was doing at the time of his accident. Eventually, Rene sold his last truck since he could no longer drive it. Starting a new driving job, Erik was put into a truck that, unknown to him, was Rene’s last truck. Two years ago, Erik got curious about the rig’s previous owner, so his boss introduced him to Rene. The two hit it off and, living only a few short miles from each other, became great friends. Getting to know each other better, Erik realized that this man had paid his dues with over 50 years of being part of the trucking industry and was inspired to start a truck show to help him with his ongoing medical and care costs. This show was created for Rene, and all the proceeds raised this year (and in any following years) will go to him. Friday was registration day, and the trucks were already rolling in. Everyone was busy polishing and shining in the 20 10-4 Magazine / October 2021 FUN FOR FRENCHY