The beauty of the American Big Rig is truly unique. Many of these trucks reflect their owner’s personalities. From the designs of the manufacturers to how the owners operate them, use them and customize them, to the power under the hood. Many trucks have personalities of their own and have become legendary throughout the years. While it’s one thing to see these trucks on display at a truck show, it’s another to capture the essence of their beauty in an art form through photography. As an ongoing series, every few months, 10-4 is going “behind the lens” to talk with some of the amazing people who photograph and showcase the beauty of the American Big Rig in their own unique way.
To kick this feature off, we will be going behind the lens this month with a friend so many of us know in the trucking industry – Chad Violet. While Chad is now known for his amazing photography of working and show trucks from around the country, his interest in photography began as a way to share his job and trips (back when he drove trucks) with his children in the late 1990s. “I used to take disposable cameras (remember those?) on my trips,” said Chad, as he continued telling me, “When I would return home, I would put the camera in a basket, grab another new one for the next trip, and while I was gone, my wife would develop the film. When I returned home, I would share my adventures with my kids through those photographs – the interesting landmarks, cool trucks I saw, the heavy machinery loads that I hauled, and the big cities I visited.”
While this routine continued for several years unchanged, one day, when Chad returned home from one of his trips, the basket was gone and there weren’t any more disposable cameras awaiting him. In the place of that basket was a brand new Canon EOS Rebel SL1 DSLR digital camera with the two “kit lenses” that came with it. “It made me nervous because of all the dials and buttons, so I didn’t take it with me for a few months,” said Chad. With the Canon camera just sitting there watching Chad come and go, one day, he decided to finally conquer his fear of the Canon.
Taking the Canon with him on a trip, while at a site waiting on riggers to load his truck, he pulled the camera out and began to explore shooting with it. “I walked around taking photos of the trucks that were there waiting, trying different angles and perspectives that I hadn’t seen anyone do before, including shots up real close, along with other details.” Like any tool, the more you work with it, the better you get using it. “The more I shot with it, the more I started to truly enjoy it.” Chad told me about getting more comfortable over time using the big Canon, saying, “I enjoyed seeing my photos and how I could improve, and then I would edit them on my computer using software programs like Ribbet or SnapSeed.”
About that same time, Chad began sharing some of his photos on different Facebook pages. Getting encouragement and feedback, “People really started responding of how much they liked my work,” said Chad. Not long after that, Chad entered a photography contest in 2016 organized by 10-4 Magazine, in honor of the late trucking photographer Bette Garber. “The photo I entered was a rolling shot of Brad Garetson when he was driving for Rollin Transport,” said Chad, telling me about the shot that won the competition! “I was sitting on the console of my Volkswagen, hanging my camera out the passenger window on a monopod, as we ran 75 mph across Interstate 70 in Ohio!”
Catching the attention of 10-4 Magazine’s editor, Dan Linss, Chad told me, “Not long after that, Dan called me, asking if I was able to put together an actual article along with photos for a trial run at a story.” Needless to say, that first submission was a success and Chad has contributed articles periodically to 10-4 from time to time over the years. Improving his gear a few years later, upgrading to a Canon 70D, Chad also won the 4 State Truck’s Guilty By Association Truck Show (GBATS) photo contest. “That show opened up a lot of doors for me. I began getting called for private photo shoots across the country, along with growing my brand, ‘Chad Violet Pictures’ on various social media platforms,” said Chad.
After going through a divorce in 2020, Chad sold his trucking company and began doing his photography deal full-time, traveling from Key West to California and back, and everywhere in between. It has taken Chad all across the United States, shooting owner operators, fleets, corporate contracts, doing event coverage at shows, features, covers and more. By this time, Chad had developed an established style of photography that he was being called for, with rolling shots being the most popular request, along with full shoots on location.
In 2022, Chad accepted a position with RoadWorks, driving their show truck, to events across the country. This sparked a lot of attention because people only knew Chad for being “the camera guy” and nothing about his 40 years of experience in the industry. “Driving the RoadWorks rig gave me the opportunity to network and shoot even more trucks because of the 35-40 shows that we would attend every year,” said Chad. During that time, Chad took a step back from contributing to any publications and focused on building his ‘Chad Violet Pictures’ brand. However, opportunity knocked again at the end of 2025.
Resigning from RoadWorks, Chad accepted a position with Rod Pickett at Arizona based Pickett Custom Trucks (PCT). “Rod and I had been talking for a few years, and in October of 2025, we had our last discussion and put together a deal that had me moving from Dayton, Ohio to Buckeye, Arizona,” said Chad. When one chapter closes, another one opens. “I’m excited,” said Chad, adding, “This move (which he made with his fiancé Amanda) will allow me to further grow Chad Violet Pictures, and the year-round nice weather in Arizona is conducive to photography, along with adding more of the west-coast trucking vibe into my portfolio.”
No matter where Chad is shooting trucks, “The Camera Guy” behind the lens will continue to capture the beauty of the American Big Rig. And, along with working as a fabricator at Pickett, helping to run their new chrome shop, and promoting PCT on social media and other marketing channels, Chad will also start contributing more articles to 10-4 Magazine as time allows. We are excited to have this talented man in our stable of dedicated and creative contributors. Thank you to Chad for providing a sample of some of the favorite pictures he’s taken over the past few years, along with the one that won that 10-4 Photo Contest back in 2016! Enjoy!!