ere we are, hopefully putting 2020 as far back in the rearview mirror as possible and looking toward a sign of semblance for the coming new year. I won’t use phrases like “new normal” or “great reset,” as I don’t want to use this as a political pulpit—there’s enough of that going on around us. Let’s just say, I hope 2021 is what we all hoped 2020 would be before it turned into the nightmare kickoff to the new decade that it has ended up being in so many aspects.

But 2020 wasn’t a total loss. Aside from the majority of events being canceled this past year, I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to attend—and subsequently cover—Dino’s 10th Annual Git Down in Arizona just before Thanksgiving. It was great to get out and “safely” mingle with truck owners/builders, but, more importantly, it was amazing getting feedback from so many aftermarket companies reporting record sales this year. Knowing our industry is thriving in these uncertain times is really reassuring, however at the same time, I realize so many small businesses and self-employed individuals (many of which are fellow hobbyists) cannot say the same, let alone know what the future holds in store for them. It’s really a strange mix of high and low emotions.

Fortunately, Classic Truck Performance is closing out 2020 on a high note, for most intents and purposes. While we’ve forgone the traditional newsstand route and resorted solely to subscription-based and direct Internet sales for our publications, we have catered to the mom-and-pop specialty bookstores in an effort to help support the traditional brick and mortar businesses that support our hobbies. And it seems to be working! Little did we expect good old print media to still be so desirable in this modern age of electronics—but guess what, people still want paper magazines! We like that … we like it a lot!

I guess that’s a pretty good thing the magazine’s being so well received, as this one right here marks the first of our “monthly” efforts. That’s right, from here on out, no more waiting two months for your fresh CTP fix—we’ll be in your mailboxes and digital inboxes month in, month out! More work for me, but more magazine goodness for all of you—it’s a win-win situation.

I’m definitely looking forward to what 2021 has in store for us. The social climate doesn’t have much room to get any worse; however, as far as the classic truck hobby has to go, as long as we keep stride industry-wise as we have throughout 2020, we ought to be in pretty good shape. Let’s hope the country as a whole moves toward a healthier perspective so that we can start reopening outdoor venues and have somewhere to really enjoy the fruits of our labors (and pocketbooks) than just the random, albeit enjoyable, quarantine-era cruises.

Speaking of fruits and labors, before I close out this month’s ramblings, I wanted to throw out an opportunity for any and everyone who’s got a truck project worth online publishing to submit a DIY Feature for CTP’s “In Your Garage” section on the site. Let’s see what you’ve been working on during these past months of lockdown! Send pics/info to me at rfortier@inthegaragemedia.com. Until then, see you all next month!