National Ugly Truck Day

Get ready to show off that ridiculously ugly vehicle, complete with a crazy truck bed and perhaps some ridiculous modifications, because it’s time to celebrate National Ugly Truck Day! 

History of National Ugly Truck Day

Sure, trucks are meant to be utilitarian and functional, which sometimes means that they don’t necessarily look beautiful too. But there are some types of trucks, particularly those that have been “customized” or retrofitted, that turn out looking a bit… well, less than beautiful. From semi tractor trailers to pickups, from dump trucks to garbage trucks, ugly trucks just have an ability to bring out the machismo in folks. And maybe a bit of a laugh as well!

National Ugly Truck Day is here to show some appreciation and love for these poor little ugly trucks that simply cannot help themselves. Some people also refer to this event as National Ugly Truck Contest Day because it seems to have gotten its start with local contests inviting folks to bring their ugly trucks to put on display.

From Fayetteville, North Carolina to Moody AFB, Georgia, from Stinesville, Indiana to Albany, Oregon, there have been ugly truck contests all throughout the United States. This kind of event can be traced back to at least 1996, but may go back even further.

Since that time, National Ugly Truck Day has continued to grow in popularity, encouraging creatives and spectators to participate in the day that is kind of silly but all just really fun!

How to Celebrate National Ugly Truck Day

All in good fun, National Ugly Truck Day gives special attention to these big hunks of metal that simply aren’t as beautiful as others. Check out some of these ideas for celebrating the day:

Join an Ugly Truck Contest

Whether it came out of the factory already ugly or has been beaten up since then, owners of trucks that might be considered ugly can take some time on National Ugly Truck Day to submit their ugly vehicles for judging. Don’t forget that the charm of what qualifies as “ugly” is subjective, so if people are often commenting on the strangeness of your truck, perhaps it would be a good candidate.

Those who don’t have an ugly truck to submit into a contest can still get involved by attending the contest where there might be an opportunity to meet some interesting folks who own ugly trucks.

Showcase Ugly Trucks Online

Almost any special day qualifies as an opportunity to raise awareness and increase popularity through social media, and National Ugly Truck Day is no different. Snap a photo of a favorite ugly truck, whether owned personally or found in the neighborhood. Then post it online to share with the world in honor of this day.

Make an Ugly Truck Day Playlist

Accompany National Ugly Truck Day with a playlist created especially for this event, just for fun. Add some of these songs to get started:

• Don’t You Buy No Ugly Truck by Dixie Drifter (1989)
• Pretty Girls Don’t Ride in No Ugly Truck by Mikala Minecci (2013)
• We Rode in Trucks by Luke Bryan (2007)