" >
When I was little, we traveled a lot, mostly by car. We drove from South Carolina, Tennessee, or North Carolina to Wyoming and California and then back again. I loved sitting in the car and watching all the others pass by. While my parents weren’t fond of semis (especially with kids in the car), I always wondered about them. They fascinated me. How did they travel such long distances by themselves? Where did they sleep? What did the inside of the truck look like?
I’m sure the quality and comfort of semi interiors have improved since I was a child (nearly twenty years ago now), and looking at pictures online it looks like if you have the money, you can have literally anything installed, including wood floors and a fireplace. If you comb through Pinterest, the results are astounding. Semi interiors have become way more personalized, especially for owner-operators.
After just one page of Google results you can find several small businesses that provide interior services, whether it’s installing accessories or putting in an entire floor plan. You can find them all over the U.S., under such names as 4 State Trucks, Outlaw Customs, TrukGuts, and Portage Trim. Whether you want to upgrade your factory interior, or you want to trick out your show truck, Portage Trim has the capability to transform your semi-interior into something better. They’ve done interior work for television as well as famous show trucks.
You can get just about anything made custom to suit your needs and wants, from leather steering wheel covers, to chrome accents, to custom upholstery, to personalized logos, to additions to your sleeper, anything you can think of, these small businesses either have it or can make it to fit your specifications.
I have been seeing a lot of upholstery being re-done, either with patterns, leather, or racing gear. Neutrals with a pop of bold look great in an interior (one site showcased an interior of lime green and off-white), and can modernize an older rig. Just like in a house, you can complement the new upholstery with door handles, knobs, and floor mats.
Whether you’ve been needing an upgrade for a while, or you’ve been eyeing some pretty nice accessories, it’s always wise to plan and budget for these purchases, as they will not come cheap if they are good quality. You’ll need to find a business in or near your area or on your route and contact them to make arrangements. If you’re looking at an extensive overhaul, you might need to consider other transportation while you wait.
Whether you drive a rig for work, attend shows, or travel for the pleasure of it, there will always be upkeep and upgrades to make on your vehicle. Knowing what you want and when you would like it done and how much you can afford to pay for said upgrades will allow you to plan ahead and make arrangements so that the process is as stress-free as possible.
And if you don’t own your rig, there are still ways to personalize it without breaking the bank or going against company policy — a nice cushion, a warm blanket draped over the seat, and a few new, hardy floor mats does wonders.
