Big Rigs in Japan and Giant Robot 67

Giant Robot 67 has a lot of great articles, but perhaps my favorite one is Roger Snider (above) and Wing Ko's piece on Japanese truckers and their tricked-out semis. It began when my friend Wing forwarded a link to pictures of the vehicles taken by his Frisbee golf buddy. I'm not sure if Wing shared them just because he thought they were cool or if he envisioned an article, but it quickly became the latter. Of course, I put Wing in charge of it.

The article became a six-page orgy of truck photos, starting with the full-bleed, two-page spread pictured above. Gorgeous trucks, amazing scenery, proud owners. When we received copies, I made arrangements to have lunch with Wing and finally meet Roger. Both of them seemed stoked on how it turned out, and Roger was particularly glad we used the image below (as well as many others). He said that unlike at the previous year's meeting of Japanese truckers, the sun, clouds, and everything aligned for an absolutely otherworldly shot.

Yes, there are female fans of trucking in Japan, too.

Over lunch at gr/eats, Roger shared his takes and impressions on not only truckers in Japan but all over the world. He brought one of his portfolios on American big rigs, and it was bound in painted steel. Amazing, and so is the imagery. Roger says that with tightening restrictions regarding fuel efficiency and emissions, a golden age of trucking is coming to a close. Lucky for us, he is around to capture some of its finest specimens.

Below, Roger with a stack of GR67s to share with his Japanese trucker friends and a new GR trucker cap, which he is uniquely qualified to wear. Check out ultrarigsoftheworld.com, where you can not only see more of his work but also order made-to-order photo books. Totally awesome!