On the last weekend of April, the homies headed toward Guthrie, Oklahoma, and joined a few hundred like-minded folks for The Truck Gathering, hosted by Mike Pannell of Squarebody Nation fame. The event took place at the Cottonwood Flats Recreation Area, a big grassy stretch with just enough shade trees to make you thankful for a folding chair and a comfy pair of Hokas.
This wasn’t a judged show or some kind of high-polish contest. It was a gathering in the truest sense. Trucks twenty years or older rolled in from all directions. If it had a tailgate, it was welcome. Squarebodies, first-gens, longbeds, shortbeds, duallys, a couple of slammed Suburbans, even a few 4x4s with the red dirt still clinging to their rockers. Nobody was checking for frame-off restorations or matching numbers. This event was built around the trucks that folks actually drive.
The gates opened Friday at noon, and by the time we pulled in, the field was already dotted with canopies, coolers, and lawn chairs. A few folks had grills going, and the smell of burgers and Oklahoma roadkill in the air made me ready for lunch. Saturday kicked off early and filled up fast. Some trucks had been left overnight under watch from on-site security, which gave the place a steady rhythm instead of a frantic scramble.
There were no fancy stages, no influencers influencing, no burnout pit. Just trucks and people who cared about them. Mike and his crew kept things organized without making it feel like you were in line at the DMV. Food and drink vendors were on-site, but folks were free to bring coolers, as long as they left the glass at home.
The weather held out for the most part, which is never a given in Oklahoma. The wind did what it always does, so canopies were tied down with everything from ratchet straps to brake drums.
The Truck Gathering isn’t flashy, but it gets the important part right. It gives truck folks a spot to slow down, talk shop, and appreciate these old rigs for what they are. That’s worth the drive every time.