Do you have what it takes to earn the title of World’s Toughest Trucker? Eight experienced truck drivers from around the globe are getting the chance to answer that question as they compete in a new reality television show on the Discovery Channel called World’s Toughest Trucker. The show premiered on Monday, February 13th, right after the season premier of American Chopper, and is scheduled to run every Monday night for eight weeks (until April 2). At that point, the last trucker standing will be crowned World’s Toughest Trucker and get a hefty payday of $150,000.
In the planets wildest places, there are roads only the most skilled drivers can survive. On these roads, the terrain is so treacherous and the routes are so untamed, that the even slightest mistake can extract the ultimate price. These are the types of roads that the eight drivers will have to deal with while they race against each other, taking on some of the harshest routes on the planet. Working in pairs (which is sure to create some comical drama) and making deliveries against the clock, the truckers are forced to contend with massive rigs, unusual cargo, life-threatening routes, and each other. The truckers who deliver their cargo the fastest will move on to the next job and avoid elimination.
From transporting cattle through the desolate, sun-baked “roads” of the harsh Australian Outback to carrying fragile loads through the icy Indian Himalayas, the eight drivers will do their best to not only deliver their cargo quickly, but stay alive. Each journey/challenge lasts three days and contestants will have to overcome many adversities to successfully deliver their loads. Along the way, the weak will be eliminated for slow times and penalties.
The show began “Down Under” as the truckers encountered river crossings, dust holes and dry creek beds in the parched regions of Australia. After two weeks in Australia, the drivers travel to Brazil for their next challenge, then on to Canada, Mongolia and India.
Like the various locations featured on the show, the contestants also come from various places around the world. All of the drivers come vastly experienced but, like athletes in specific sports, each truck driver brings a particular skill set to the competition. They also bring their share of personal quirks and trademarks. Derek Martin (Canada) has 16 years of driving experience; William “LA Rookie” Weekly (USA) has 25 years of experience; Rodney Johnson (Australia) has been trucking for 31 years; Stuart Barnes (England) has 16 years of experience; Jason Johnson (USA) has been driving for 13 years; Shane Smart (USA) has 16 years of experience; Zola Rajapakse (Sri Lanka) has been driving a truck for 20 years; and Mike Thomas-Clark (Scotland) has 27 years of experience.
We at 10-4 Magazine are very excited about this new show because one of our friends and distribution guys is on it – LA Rookie (he says the “LA” stands for Lower Alabama). Rookie has been delivering our magazines, filling all the racks along I-10 and I-20 from New Mexico to Florida, for about two years now, and is definitely a character. A company driver for Jon R. Davis Trucking (JD) out of Opp, Alabama (featured on our January 2012 cover), Rookie is known for running his mouth and his signature green and black boots, which were custom-made to match his truck. We’d like to wish Rookie all the luck in this wild endeavor, and hope he can survive to the end. We’d also like to thank our friends Kent and Gary from Valley Chrome Plating for nominating Rookie to be on the show. Let’s hope he can make us all proud!
World’s Toughest Trucker premiered on Monday, February 13 on the Discovery Channel, and will run every Monday night after that (at 10pm eastern) until the finale on April 2, where the last driver standing will walk away with the $150,000 prize and the title: World’s Toughest Trucker. We hope you tune in on Mondays and support this fun program so they continue to make more. Look for several members of the cast to be at the truck show in Louisville, KY on March 22-24 signing autographs and taking pictures with fans in several booths, including Valley Chrome’s booth (#20035) and 10-4 Magazine’s booth (#17248) in the North Wing. Go Rookie!!!