A message from the editor

From Fanboy to Frontman: A 20-Year Rise to the Top

To say I’ve been a hardcore custom truck enthusiast since Day One would be an understatement. From drooling over factory-designed super trucks like the GMC Syclone of the early ’90s to daydreaming about body-dropped duallys, I’ve had my fair share of fantasy builds. I’ve watched as pots and pans dominated the wheel market and Truxarossa kits were grafted to the sides of the Mazda mini-trucks in magazines. The times have changed but the passion has remained. That’s true for nearly every hardcore truck owner I’ve ever known, too. Whether it’s a hobby or a full-time addiction, talking truck just comes natural to you and me doesn’t it?

“We are leading the charge to bring this amazing community of owners, designers, builders and fans alike online in a way they can truly be proud of.”

Over the last 20 years I think we can all agree that the “scene” has changed in way we would have never dreamed. Everything from the size of today’s custom wheels to the skyrocketing prices of new factory trucks were far beyond my wildest imagination when I was only 18 years old. Nowadays, you can’t stay away from neck-breaking builds no matter which platform you use to go online and it seems to be amplifying by the day. That’s a good thing, right?

I hear it all the time, “Social media killed the magazine star” (read it like the song…it’s catchy). Meanwhile we see it as a means to a louder voice. With a collaborative team effort, we now have a much larger audience pulling from many other demographics than just magazine readers. The younger generation loves social media and no one can argue with the numbers. If young guys from every decade in the past had a love for hot rods and custom trucks, it’s clearly built into our DNA. The passion is in us all, and it’s our job to drag it out of you anywhere we can find you. That kinda sounds like a stalker ex-girlfriend doesn’t it? But I digress.

We are leading the charge to bring this amazing community of owners, designers, builders and fans alike online in a way they can truly be proud of. We constantly strive to be the face of the industry with a massive support cast. The love and support we receive from anyone we communicate with drives our team to new heights and we can’t thank you all enough. 2019 is going to be a year of giving back and we are excited about the goals set in place. Project truck builds for lifetime contributors and a cross country tour with some one-day show-and-shine stops along the way are a couple interesting plans, along with loads of free digital content daily to keep your motivation fired up.

Throughout my career I have had one guy in particular stick his head out for me time and time again, and I can’t thank him enough. From industry opportunities to daily friendship banter, Eddy Cebreco has opened doors for me that I would have never have the chance to even stand in front of. For that reason, his long time 1959 Chevy Apache build will be the project of the year for Street Trucks and we plan to drive this truck nicknamed “Burn-A-Debt” to SEMA next year on our Shakedown to SEMA 2019 Tour. With the help of companies like National Parts Depot, Coker Tire, AccuAir, BASF Paints and Autometal Direct, we plan to finally put this project to the pavement and watch that long-awaited smile stretch across his face when he makes the first cruise. Follow us online and message us your thoughts moving forward. The last 20 years were great, but the next 20 will be epic! See you guys out there… ST