8th-Annual 2018 Southeastern All Chevy/GMC Truck Nationals. It was really hot, but at least it didn't rain

Chevrolet trucks. They’re one of the most durable icons in the history of America. Today a vintage Chevy truck resonates like a worn pair of Levi’s jeans or a favorite pair of boots. Their owners love them the same way they love their dog or even their oldest and closest friend. Sure, these trucks were designed to trudge through fields, haul hay, and drag trailers. But they have become much more than that. That passion is exceedingly evident when you visit the Southeastern All Chevy/GMC Truck Nationals at Moss-Wright Park in Goodlettsville, Tenn. The owners of more than 500 trucks spent the entire day in near 100-degree heat to be with like-minded owners. This is the premiere gathering for these trucks east of the Mississippi. Of course, when you get this many trucks together, you’re going to find several outstanding examples.

2015 GMC Canyon test drive review. The truckin' sweet spot

These days, when a manufacturer claims their truck is full-sized, they mean it. I’ve reviewed some pickups lately that completely dwarf the old HMC ’63 Chevy. And while these new trucks are capable of carrying payload and pulling trailers that would have been impossible just a few years ago, there are some people that just don’t want to drive something that big. That’s where the all-new 2015 GMC Canyon comes in. This truck is still able to handle most of the things people buy trucks for in the first place, but it comes in a smaller, more manageable package.

2014 GMC Acadia Denali test drive review. Comfort, utility, and confidence no matter the conditions

My household consists of myself, my wife, and one fairly undersized 10-year-old boy.  The seven-passenger 2014 GMC Acadia Denali is probably more vehicle than we need.  However, this was a busy week.  I opened up a swap meet display.  My dad and I went to the Mecum auction.  And the family headed up to St. Joseph to watch my son’s basketball tournament.  With each task, I began to appreciate more and more the safety, utility, and convenience of a large crossover like this.  It’s no wonder people like these things.  For real-world use, you just can’t beat them.

OOIDA Heart of America Trucking Show showcases some beautiful big rigs

I’m not an expert on semi-trucks, but I know if something is cool when I see it.  And there was plenty of cool stuff to look at when the Heart of America Trucking Show headed to Kansas Speedway over the weekend.  This is a huge event for the Owner-Operator Independent Driver’s Association (OOIDA), and big rigs from all over the country were on hand to celebrate the 40th-anniversary of that organization.  Some of these trucks rival even the most high-dollar hot rods.  With a combination of custom bodywork, chrome, and lights, you can be sure that these guys and gals go all-out for their one-off creations.

2014 GMC Sierra 1500 SLT 4X4 test drive review. The luxury car that works like a truck

Let me just put this out there.  If I had 50-large to spend on a new vehicle right now, I’d be mighty tempted to order a new 2014 GMC Sierra 1500 SLT 4X4 exactly like the one I just finished test driving.  Bright red?  Absolutely.  20-inch chrome wheels?  You bet.  Z71 off-road suspension?  Sign me up.  Honestly, if you’re into cars, and appreciate a modern interpretation of the classic American pickup, there’s not much to dislike here.  Allow me to explain.

Pontiac Trubute Day brought pretty Ponchos and GMCs to Westfall

It couldn’t have been a more perfect day for the Fourth-Annual Pontiac Tribute Day at the Westfall GMC Truck Center on Saturday afternoon.  There was plenty of sunshine, it wasn’t too hot, and the parking lot was full of fine Pontiacs and GMC trucks.  In all, I’d say it was a pretty successful event for the KC Arrowheads Pontiac Club.

2013 Acadia Denali test drive review. You deserve this kind of luxury

As someone who always has an old car for a daily driver, a vehicle like this 2013 Acadia Denali is a real eye-opener.  I can hardly believe that people get to experience this kind of luxury.  I have never been more pampered in my life than the week I spent with this bus.  It was wall-to-wall leather, brushed aluminum, chrome, and shiny wood trim.  This vehicle was the mobile equivalent of leaving home and staying in a five-star hotel. 

1960 to 1966 Chevrolet and GMC truck mega photo slideshow

As someone who attends a lot of car shows, and also as the owner of an ugly old ’63 Chevy C-10, I tend to notice trucks like mine when I’m out and about. This generation of trucks was around from 1960-1966, and they sold a bunch of them.

I think they kind of went off the radar for awhile. I know I used to think they were pretty ugly old trucks, and not many people seemed to be focusing on them as restoration candidates.

2012 GMC Sierra Denali 2500 HD test drive review. All compromises; no compromises

A big truck can transform you, frustrate you, and satisfy you. This is what I learned after spending a week with what may very well be the ultimate three-quarter ton General Motors truck on the road, a 2012 GMC Sierra Denali 2500 HD Crew Cab 4X4 with a Duramax 6.6-liter turbo diesel. Given the right circumstances, this is an uncompromising, amazing, sophisticated wonder. Given the wrong circumstances, it is nothing but compromises. But all told, I really loved that rig, and was truly sad to see it go.

2012 GMC Terrain test drive review. The official small crossover of B.A. Baracus

If you are an American male between the ages of 35 and 45, GMC trucks should hold a special place in your subconscious. That’s because from the late 1970s through the mid-to-late 1980s, GMC executed the greatest product placement campaign targeted at seven-to-thirteen-year-old boys in the history of the world.

The onslaught of TV shows and movies that featured GMC vehicles jumping over construction sites, sliding around corners, and dodging bullets and explosives was nothing short of marketing brilliance. For your consideration: The A-Team van, The Fall Guy pickup, Rocky’s pickup in the Rockford Files, Hardcastle’s pickup in Hardcastle and McCormick, the “Robin 3” Jimmy in Magnum P.I., Hooper’s red stepside in the Burt Reynolds’ movie Hooper, Snowman’s rig in Smokey and the Bandit II, and the mobile repair semi in Knight Rider, just to name a few.

11th Annual Midwest All Truck Nationals is one of the best truck shows in the country. Learn about it and see the pictures here

Sunscreen. Just one simple word, yet it can make such a big difference. Or maybe it's two words. I'm not sure, because I never was close enough to any on Saturday to read the tube before I spent the whole day in the sun.

I never knew what hit me, though, because I was completely distracted by the fantabulous weather and more than 200 awesome trucks at the 11th-Annual Midwest All Truck Nationals at the E.H. Young Riverfront Park in Riverside, Mo.

For one thing, they had an exact replica of Snowman's rig from Smokey and the Bandit. At least they said it was a replica. I've seen that movie no less than ten-million times, and this baby looked just like it. It even had the Coors beer in the back. Anyone that would paint their truck like that would go to a minister's funeral dressed in feathers. And I, for one, loved it.

Then, they had Bigfoot. Not the a new Bigfoot with ugly sponsorship graphics and a boring current-model F-Series truck. This one looked just like the late-'70s version, kind of like the one the bad guys smashed up the dealership with in Roadhouse.