It’s that time of year again! It’s time for the Walcott Trucker’s Jamboree. This year is a bit special as the Iowa 80 Truck Stop will be celebrating 60 years of service to America’s trucking industry.
There’s so much to see and do at the Jamboree. There’s a museum at the truck stop with antique trucks on display. For the show, there will be a Super Truck Beauty Contest, over 175 exhibits, live country music concerts, the trucker Olympics, fireworks, and so much more to do. Admission and parking are free to go to the event.
I always enjoy the Walcott Trucker’s Jamboree. There’s always plenty of great interaction with drivers and owner-operators with good questions. It’s a great place to see how far trucking has come over the years since the first motorized carriages began to move America’s commerce. The Pride & Polish Show is as good as any that you will see anywhere. These drivers take great pride in polishing their trucks to the end degree.
Then, of course, there’s the Iowa pork chop cookout, which is always a great treat at the Jamboree. The only thing that adds to making the pork chop experience any better, is the comradery and conversations that develop under the covered eating area.
One of my favorite activities is watching the drivers compete in the trucker’s Olympics. Events in the trucker Olympics competition are everything from rolling up straps, a tire roll, and running with a coffee cup full of water. And finally, there’s the truck pull in which drivers pull an antique cement mixer truck across the parking lot.
If you’ve never been to the Iowa 80 Truck Stop, you’re in for a treat. It’s the World’s Largest Truck Stop. Everything that a driver, or anyone, might need is available in the building. There are truck accessories, a chiropractor, a dentist, movie theaters, dog grooming salons, truck washes, a truck repair shop, and multiple restaurants; and in my opinion, the cleanest world-class showers are to be found at this truck stop.
I will be attending the show, which will be held on Thursday, July 11 through Saturday, July 13, and Celeste, my 2022 Freightliner Cascadia, will be on display for everyone to see. I will be available to talk and answer questions on the performance of the Detroit DD15 engine, DT12 transmission, the Hendrickson OPTIMAAX liftable pusher axle, and any other spec on the truck including the Michelin tires where the rubber meets the road. The doors will be open for anyone who might want to sit in the driver’s seat of the Cascadia and check out the driver’s lounge.