The Japanese sub-culture of truck drivers who love to customize their rigs into dazzling detail is known as “Dekotora.” In Japanese, the word is simply a contraction for “Decoration Truck.” They are also sometimes referred to as “Ätotorakku” or “Art Truck.”
The whole thing began because of a cult B-movie series called “Truck Guys” which were popular action-comedies in the 70s. While these days, the customization of trucks is quite a bit easier due to a virtual cottage industry of parts, in the early days the truck drivers would use nearly any available parts from city buses, 18 wheelers, and US military vehicles.
Dekotora trucks are much more modern than comparable custom trucks in other parts of the world, such as the “Jingle Trucks” of Pakistan and Afghanistan. They often feature amazing sound systems, intricate light systems and heavily detailed engines.
So, while these are quite a different world away from the Class 8 semi trucks that American custom shops create, they’re no less impressive in their extravagance. We hope you enjoy the slide show.
If you can’t get the picture slide show of Dekotora custom truck driver rigs to work, just visit this link to view them manually. Enjoy, truckers!