What’s Up with the Bond Between Dads and their Trucks?

With Father’s Day just around the corner, I’ve been nostalgic about memories of my dad and his pickup trucks.  If you have a dad who loves his truck, you know what I mean.

Our family was a one-car family until the end of the 1970’s when my dad finally got a job with a little extra money to buy his own pickup truck.  I still remember the truck he chose:  a bright “jasmine yellow” used Chevy Luv pickup truck with brown knit vinyl interior.  My dad always drove and I was squished in the middle seat between he and my mom as he hauled everything in the back of that little truck.  When we got a dog, he would ride in the bed.

During the workweek, he’d fill the back with odds and ends leftover from his job at the mine.  We had all types of spare metal rods, concrete bricks, and slabs of wood in the shed.  On weekends, he’d throw in the tackle box and a fishing rod and head out for a day on the river.  For him, that Chevy Luv pickup truck represented freedom.

When I turned 15, my dad taught me how to drive in his truck.  We spent afternoons barreling through the empty field next to our house as I turned the wheel and learned how to balance between the brake and the accelerator.  Every now and then he’d shout, “Push the clutch!!!” as he changed the gears for me.  It wasn’t long until we hit the open country roads.  After getting my driver’s license, he let me borrow his truck until I had enough money to get my own little starter vehicle.

That little Chevy Luv lasted my dad a good ten years.  I’m not sure why he traded it in for his next Dodge pickup truck, but I think he felt it was time for something a little larger.  I don’t remember much about that next truck, other than he ended up having to trade it in after he damaged his rotator cuff and could no longer use the gearshift very easily.

His final pickup truck was also a Dodge truck, but this time it was an automatic.  Even though I was considerably older, once again, my Dad, mom, and I all fit into the truck even though I had to crawl behind the front seat in the little crew cab area.  My dad used that truck to help move me into my first house.

My dad’s no longer here.  He passed away about eight years ago and I inherited his truck.  My husband and I have used that truck to haul lumber and supplies for our current home remodeling projects.  His truck is still parked out front.  We no longer use it very often and I should probably sell it, but there’s something about seeing that truck every day that reminds me of being with my dad.  There’s just something special between a dad and his truck.

Want to give your dad a gift to help fix up his pickup truck?

Give your dad a gift certificate for drill-less mud flaps from DuraFlap on Father’s Day!  We’ll help him pick out the right mud flaps for his pick up truck and help make installation easy for him.  A good set of mud flaps is essential for protecting his truck and nearby cars from flyaway rocks and debris on the road, and to help keep mud and snow off of the tires while driving.

Your dad can even personalize his truck’s mud flaps with custom artwork from DuraFlap.  Our online catalog has over 100 designs to choose from such as Flames, a Horse Rider, and a Tractor.  We can also create a unique design based on your own artwork.

Contact us today to purchase a gift certificate for your dad.  It’s a great way to help him fix up his beloved pickup truck!