It's a Team's Life
Overdrives Pride and Polish Truck Beauty Contest
Last year was like a dream come true when our Cascadia placed 1st in the 2010 & newer Working Class Bobtails and first in the after market sleeper division at the Great American Truck Show (GATS) in Dallas, TX.
In 1998 Bob attended his first Pride and Polish event held at MATS and then I went with him to the Pride and Polish show held in Las Vegas. Bob was the mechanic on a working oil field truck that was gorgeous and the owner decided he wanted to enter in a truck show. We at that time had no clue about truck shows.... Boy did Bob learn a lot at that first truck beauty contest and they decided to try their luck again at the Las Vegas truck show later that summer. This time I went along, as I could hardly believe the stories he told me.
Well we spent a lot of time working on that truck and the
owner poured money getting that truck ready to show in Las Vegas and we got
their two days early and started shining.
That truck was entered only in the exterior class and we spent two days
shining the truck up.
I had a toothbrush
and I went around every rivet on the sleeper where the wax had built up
removing the residue. While there though we started talking to other drivers
and that is when the bug bit us "We wanted to begin a new career as TRUCK
DRIVERS!
The truck we were working on
ended up getting third in the class, which was amazing as there were a lot of older
trucks entered.
We were thrilled and we
had a new goal.
When we bought our first truck, the M2, we knew we could not compete in truck shows and while we attended the shows we never thought of entering our truck in the beauty contest. That all changed when we purchased our Cascadia and we knew this truck had the good looks to show well. While we did not expect to place in a truck show our Cascadia and Bolt Custom Truck Sleeper still looked pretty darn good sitting there with the rest of the truck beauty queens. Well as many of you know the rest is history as our belief in our business spec'd truck made us proud.
Well we had so darn much fun showing the truck in the Pride and Polish show we are entering again. Bob and I are always maintaining the truck so all (said very lightly) that needs to be done to the truck is bringing everything up to a high polish. That takes at least two full days of Bob outside polishing and shining and me inside polishing and shining.
On the interior I get our Q-Tips and all of my cleaning supplies and the sleeper and the cab are gone over. The vents are cleaned with the Q-Tips and vacuumed, the walls are wiped down, the sink is polished, and then I move to the cab. The vents are treated the same way as well as under the seats. It is a lot of work, but wow does it feel good when completed. This year I have added a two place setting to go with the Mickey Mouse back drop for my table and I will add pictures of the completed truck once we are ready for the judges to come and see what we have done.
Bob I believe gets as much dirt off of the truck and on him
as possible!
It is amazing once he
starts polishing to how completely dirty he gets.
When he gets done I could use the fuel tanks
for a mirror.
We will have the Trailer
Tail on for this show and it will be interesting to hear what the judges have
to say about that.
We would have NEVER guessed in 1998 that some day we would win a 1st in a Pride and Polish Show! I know when they called our names both of us about cried, as it really was a LONG dream come true for us.
Wish us luck, as I know we will need it as I have heard
there are over 100 trucks entered in this show!
Bob & Linda Caffee
TeamCaffee

Saint Louis MO
Expediters 8 years been out here on the road 13 years
Expediting isn't just trucking, it's a lifestyle; 

Expediting isn't just a lifestyle, it's an adventure;

Expediting isn't just an adventure, it's a job;

Expediting isn't just a job, it's a business.