Bonners Ferry is one of the most beautiful towns in North Idaho, and it recently had its first truck show – the North Idaho Truck Show. Why was it called the “North” and not “Northern” Idaho show? Well… because “Northern Idaho” is Coeur d’Alene, and Bonners Ferry is north of there!
When we got the call about a month before, the Standlee crew and I were determined to make it to the event, being held on September 13-14, 2024. We took a load from Mountain Home, ID to Ellensburg, WA, then deadheaded to Bonners Ferry for the show. After many stops from light issues the entire trip up, we finally pulled through the thick fog into the Bonners Ferry Fairgrounds at 8:00 AM on Friday morning.
Blayne and LaCee Amoth worked their tails off to get this show up and running, and their two boys, Korey and Klyde, were the cutest mascots. The weather for the show was nearly perfect at 68 degrees with a light breeze. As trucks pulled in, they were washed by North West Mobile Washing, who did an amazing job making these trucks shine. The entrance to the show was tough for many, being the gate was only about 10 feet wide, but truck after truck made it through unscathed, except for one, and it just happened to take a toll on one of Blayne Amoth’s side lights on his cool cabover (which just happens to be our cover feature this month). Luckily, it only tweaked the mount, but the bulb went a little haywire, deciding to only turn on when it rained!
When night fell on that wonderful little town, we had an incredible light show where glass was class. As some of you know, light shows are my favorite time of a truck show (and what also helped me become a reporter). Some of the best lights were at this show, such as our Thomas Edison award winner of the Southern Idaho Show 2024, Delton Amoth, and his Peterbilt 379 and camper setup. The truck we were all convinced was going to win the light show was Clyde and Melody Green’s famous and well known A-model KW. However, they were unable to catch a load that would bring them up to Bonners Ferry, so they packed up their car and drove to the show. Delton Amoth took the liberty of searching back to a photo of Clyde and his truck from 2016 and blowing it up in a big poster to set out on the line up. For the light show, someone took a flashlight and pointed it to the picture… best light award, if they would have asked me.
Saturday morning began beautifully cool, which was a nice change from the scorching 85 plus degree weather Idaho had for most of the summer. About 50 trucks made it to the first annual North Idaho Truck Show, which was a little unexpected by everyone, but incredible. The award ceremony rolled around at 3:00 PM, where it was short and sweet, with just one award, which was based on a competitor’s vote. The award was presented to Alan Tuttle and his classic blue and champagne 2003 Peterbilt 379. Alan is from High River, Alberta, and he mostly hauls oil field equipment. Alan has been trucking through Bonners Ferry for many years.
Though it was delayed from the rain, the coolest part of the weekend was the truck and tractor pulls. After the track was re-drug, the minis started the night off with little homemade pullers, one with a 2-stroke bike motor and the other with a snowmobile motor. After that, we moved right into the semis. Nine trucks pulled out of the show to enter the pulls, and in my opinion, the best trucks that pulled were the log trucks. After the trucks, there were daily drivers, then we got into the loud and rowdy stuff, which included the street illegal pickups and tuned up farm tractors. Delton Amoth, the bad cat he is, pulled twice Saturday night – first in his blue classic Ford, then in his tractor named the “Bad Apple” that has a big ol’ Detroit in it.
Big thanks to everyone that jumped in to help Blayne and LaCee Amoth put this amazing show together. It couldn’t have happened without all your efforts. The first annual North Idaho Truck Show was “the little truck show that could” and it was definitely a lot of fun up in North Idaho! Here’s hoping they do it again next year. Stay tuned.