The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk How to start a truck club

I don't know of any old truck club in my area. Down here in LA (Lower Alabama), all you see are 6 foot high newer model monster trucks or 2 inch high mini imports. I've thought about starting one or at least looking into the idea. Any of you guys ever start one? If so, how did you go about it?

I am a member of the 'Royal' Truck Club in Montreal.
It's a 2 member club.
My 5 year old son and myself...

This is our club plaque.
I designed the logo and cast it in my home foundry.

Bkndsdl,
no idea, good luck though. I've tried it myself, it seems guys and their trucks is more of a 'one on one' kinda thing... so as far as getting together a bunch of old truck guys with their trucks in one place, it's kinda difficult. The one thing I did learn was to not try to please everyone with the scheduling, someone hasta be the dictator... set a date and go with it.

whizzerick - that is a cool logo.

-W

Sorry I cant help you, but sweet logo!!!

How to start a truck club:


#1: Think up a name

#2: Come up with a basic idea of what the clubs goals and mission will be, for example:

a. Who will be encouraged to join?
b. What purpose will it serve?
c. What geographical area will your club serve? Local? State? National?

#3: With those things out of the way, it's time to let people know about your new club, here are a few ways to do that:

a. Print flyers and pass them out at car/truck shows and cruse ins
b. Tell friends and neighbors about it
c. Put an ad in the CARS/TRUCKS FOR SALE section of your local newspaper or other publications distributed in your area with vehicles for sale

#4: Once you get 6 or seven people intrested, work together to refine and tweek the groups mission and purpose, and discuss ways of recruiting new members.

Congratulations! You have your new club!

Why invent the wheel, there are several car clubs in Alabama

car clubs

more car clubs

running out of room


still more car clubs

how many more do you need?

If you still want to start a club, go to a local car club of any make and sit through one of the meetings, talk with the President of the club and ask for pointers. Go to some of the events to see ow they are organized, take notes. Put a sign on your truck window stating your interest and include an email address that you can be reached. Good luck! .......g

I can totally understand his desire to start a club, if there isnt one locally.

It might be nice to get together with other old truck folks that live near you, and not have to drive an hour or more to meetings or group events.

Some old truck folks just don't have the time or resources to participate in distance clubs, but having a group of vintage truck enthusists who all live within a few miles or so of one another, and get together once a month or so would be cool.

Go for it!! I did and we are having a great time. We are the Midnight Sun Classic Tailgaters. I startred by making up a name (like F...46 said), put the flyers with my contact information on every old truck I saw. Got the first 8 guys together and we were off and running. After three years we have a core group with 12 to 15 and an email list of about 40. This is our third year and we are going to have our own ALL TRUCK SHOW. If nothing else you will meet some other truck loving people, swap a few stories and parts and have a good time. It just takes someone (YOU) to give it a try.

Buddy, President

The American Truck Historical Society (ATHS) has chapters all over the country. You might check them out. I don't have their web address in front of me, but I know they have one. Good Luck!!

Rich,

The ATHS can be found online Here (www.aths.org)

Speaking of the ATHS, our National Show and Convention is being held right here in Baltimore in 2006.

Regards,
John

Start a club? My ideas. No dues, no politics, no rules or constitution and meet occasionally at a drive-in or some such area. If you want to go a step farther, arrange a shop tour once in a while where the group can help someone out with their ride. I have seen clubs fall apart where egos and big cubic wallets try to run it. A club plaque would be neat.

I'm not a member of any clubs, but I am the Co-Founder of the BTOA, Beat Trucks Of America, which is a loose affilation of beat truck owners. Anyone can join, no meetings, no dues and no rules.

I'm also loosely affiliated with an group of people that call themselves, ThunderRods.

There are a lot of 'car' clubs around... I'm not aware of any local old chevy/gmc trucks clubs around Atlanta, GA.... car and truck guys think very different - unless it is the poeple who take their trucks and turn them into cars.

-W

Buddy, what did you limit your membership to? I was thinking of any truck 25 years old or older.

Also, do you guys have any membership fees?

Even though we are the Classic Tailgaters and the majority of our trucks are in the 50s we don't have a hard cutoff. We "encourage" (and seek) trucks 25 years and older but are open to anyone that enjoys being around and working on trucks. When we started someone was worried that the a tuner truck might join. We decided that would be ok and as long as they wanted to listen to the old rusty stories, the more the merrier. Did you see my new post - Successful Truck Show? That show was open to all trucks.
Anyway, just keep hitting up the classic trucks you see and it will come together. We have a great core group of about 15 to 20 and will continue to be truck friends (club or no club). Our dues are $10 single and $15 family. This was decided on just to have money to make copies and send out letters as needed.

Good Luck! Buddy
ps - I'll be headed for NA for a little deer hunting in Dec..

Thx for all the info, fellas. I guess I need to start getting a name in mind......