Minitrux

Minitrux Welcomes You

Minitrux.com Offers More Style Per Mile

By Melissa Balk

After attending the Mini Truckin' Nationals in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, brothers Allen and Chris Buchanan decided to start an online magazine devoted to mini trucks. They wanted to create a place where mini truck enthusiasts could go "to share ideas, advice and to check out the current trends." Allen, a commercial graphic artist by trade, and Chris, who handles the business side of the magazine, liked the idea of a web site because it is "more directly in contact with viewers than magazines are with subscribers." The result, www.minitrux.com, offers a wide array of information on mini trucks in an entertaining, interactive format. It lives up to its slogan, "More Style Per Mile." Each month the magazine features different top-quality mini trucks on the "cover." Other pages on the site include an ongoing Q/A Forum where readers share their ideas, and Wordup, an editorial page. The Zone offers a look at the readers' mini trucks "under construction," and an Audio page teaches readers about the latest sound-quality maximization techniques. In an effort to keep viewers abreast of what's going on, Chris and Allen also offer free listings on the Event Calendar and Classifieds pages, and every month they even dedicate a page to "Driving Force."

A tribute to their skills and hard work, the magazine is popular with mini truck enthusiasts around the world. Readers from all over the United States and Canada, and some from as far away as Europe and Australia, regularly visit the site. Chris and Allen describe their typical viewers as 20-somethings who "love to customize their vehicles, like their rides to scrape pavement, like their music loud and like safe and carefree fun with others who share the interest in this hobby." The brothers report that last September alone, more than 12,000 viewers visited the site's cover page, and nearly twice that many hit the Q/A Forum page. Additionally, "Xhibits [a section featuring the readers' mini trucks] seem to pour in. Everyone wants to see their ride on the Internet!" They receive 10 to 15 submissions per month for their Show the World Your Truck page, and more than 350 people have accessed the on-site chat room.

Keeping such a comprehensive web site updated takes a lot of time and energy, and Chris and Allen are fortunate to have an impressive list of volunteers from all around the United States to help them out. "This is the amazing and exciting part of what we do. Everyone wants to make minitrux.com the best of its kind."

When asked if there was anything else they would like to add, Chris and Allen said, "Thanks to everyone for their response, cooperation of clubs, show sponsors, "Driving Force" Editor Brian Caudill, and Lance Martz, editor of MiniTruckin' magazine."

SEMA DRIVING FORCE - Voice of the SEMA Network; Archives; November 1999 Issue.

You may ask what the difference between then and now is? Today, Social Media changes daily. Practically everyone that has a show quality mini truck has their own page or account on the web. Where paper magazines exist their prices are higher than 10 years ago. So many readers turn to slick high class digital copies. In doing so that leaves others struggling to keep up. Even harder to stay in the passing lane or ahead of everyone else.

You are fortunate to attend the shows from CA to NC, ME to TX. and from other countries. While doing so, please consider sharing: Photos of your mini truck, Event Flyers or Ads and Event Coverage.