Growing up, we develop fond memories in our cars. The first car we owned or our best friend’s convertible may remind us of our childhood or a cross-country trip.
Then there are the ones who drive a truck. They seem to form special bonds with their vehicle of choice. Whether sitting up higher, the capacity to haul, or even tailgating, trucks offer different views of the road ahead, both literally and symbolically.
The following 13 of the best songs about trucks will show you what it means to be a driver, passenger, or just an overall truck fan. Read on!
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1. “East Bound And Down” By Jerry Reed
Our first song on the list, Jerry Reed‘s “East Bound and Down,” may be the most iconic song about trucking. That’s thanks to Smokey and the Bandit, the 1977 film that follows two bootleggers transporting 400 cases of beer.
The song talks about being on a tight schedule. The bootleggers must bring the beer in time for an after-race celebration. They drive as fast as possible and dodge the police following them. The bootleggers are determined to complete this run, regardless of the cost.
This truck-driving anthem will make you feel like you’ve stepped into a scene from Smokey and the Bandit.
2. “Convoy” By C.W. McCall
Another trucking hit from the 1970s, “Convoy,” celebrates the brotherhood of truckers.C.W. McCall tells the story of a defiant group of truckers who outrun the cops. Citizen Band, or C.B. radio, was popular in the 1970s, so “Convoy” centers around communicating with code words over this radio.
We learn from the lyrics that the truckers stage a protest by driving through toll gates. The cops have trouble catching them, so they call for the National Guard.
Nonetheless, the convoy rolls on, confident that nothing can stand in their way. Ultimately, they outrun law enforcement and continue to drive into the night with the help of a trusty truck.
3. “Somethin’ ‘Bout A Truck” By Kip Moore
Released in 2011, “Somethin’ ‘Bout a Truck” celebrates young, country love. This song by Kip Moore reached #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart.
Naturally, the love story centers around the tailgate of a truck.A couple of parks in the middle of a farmer’s field and enjoys beer. They hide behind the corn, where they kiss. The singer insinuates that they will go further soon enough. They go skinny dipping in a creek in the middle of the night.
The main theme of this country hit is the truck, which causes the girl to fall for the boy. The song says that luck has nothing to do with the night; the truck is the catalyst.
4. “Truckin’” By Grateful Dead
There was a point in the 1960s when traveling became the in thing. This was reflected in “Truckin’,” Grateful Dead‘s single featured on their 1970 album American Beauty. For the band, this was their coming-of-age story.
The lyrics say that travelers keep on “truckin’, like the do-dah man” across the country. They see Chicago, New York, and Detroit, but the places look like the same city. They are frustrated that these cities never leave them alone. But that doesn’t stop them from hitting the road.
This reflects the life of the band at that time. They went on tours across the country. It proved to be boring sometimes, that’s why they have a line in the song that says, “Get tired of travelin’, you want to settle down.”
5. “I Drive Your Truck” By Lee Brice
In a song with “truck” in the title, Lee Brice takes it slow with this emotional ballad that will surely tug at heartstrings. “I Drive Your Truck” is a tribute to fallen soldiers and the loved ones they leave behind.
In the song, the singer lost his brother to war. The living brother does not grieve as many would. He avoids visits to the grave because he feels no closer to his brother there. He has gotten angry, prayed, and tried to let go, but none helped.
Instead, he drives his brother’s old truck. He listens to the same country station his brother did and takes the truck for burnouts in the same open fields. He cries but knows his brother would disapprove of it.
You can tell how successful the song is. It earned Platinum certification in the United States and peaked at #1 on Billboard Country.
6. “Brothers Of The Highway” By Tony Justice Ft. Aaron Tippin
In “Brothers of the Highway,” Tony Justice and Aaron Tippin tip their hats to truck drivers everywhere. The song was part of a 2016 album carrying the same name.
The song begins with a woman waving goodbye to a truck driver as he drives off in the rain. He is one of the “brothers of the highway” who thrive on freedom. He goes where the wind takes him because he knows his job is important to industries across America.
In the lyrics, a line goes, “That Detroit diesel pirate ship goes rollin’ out again.” The singer compares wandering pirates and truckers who never stay in one place long. The song wraps up with a blessing for truck drivers.
7. “We Rode In Trucks” By Luke Bryan
Here’s another ode to trucks and truckers out there. In “We Rode In Trucks,” Luke Bryan reminisces about growing up in his hometown, which was “heaven on earth.”
Listening to the lyrics might make you reminisce about your own place. In the song with “trucks” in the lyrics, the singer recounts how he lived in a farm town. We can see how he loved that place where he learned a lot of things.
But the most memorable for him is recalling, “Where I grew up, we rode in trucks.” This reflects their lifestyle as they use the truck for work.
This early 2007 single only made it to #33 on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs, but it holds a special place in Bryan’s heart.
8. “Pickup Man” By Joe Diffie
For our next song on the list, we go back to the 1990s for a Joe Diffie song. “Pickup Man” is for all the guys who feel extra cool when they drive a pickup truck.
The singer walks the listener through his life as a pickup man. When he was three, he received a mini pickup truck and helped the girl next door move her bed. This girl tried to kiss him, which was his first hint that women love pickup men. At 16, the Homecoming Queen asked for a ride in his truck.
Even if his truck were rusty or wrecked, Diffie says he would never trade it. Women like pickup men regardless of the condition of their trucks.
9. “Truck Got Stuck” By Corb Lund
Imagine getting your truck, or any vehicle, stuck in the mud. That could lead to some funny experiences, as we’ll see in our next song. Corb Lund‘s “Truck Got Stuck” is a lively tune that will make you laugh.
Curb Lund describes a town that witnesses a rainstorm for the first time in years. The mud surprises everyone, and all the trucks get stuck in it. When one truck comes to help push another out, they both end up stuck.
Many truckers miss important events throughout the day. The biggest truck refuses to help them, which seems rather hostile to a neighbor. Finally, the truckers use their strength and resources to gain traction and free their trucks.
10. “Make Me Wanna” By Thomas Rhett
American country singer Thomas Rhett is most famous for his heartfelt love songs. His 2014 twice-certified Platinum hit, “Make Me Wanna,” is a lively, carefree nod to country love.
“Make Me Wanna” is perfect for couples who enjoy driving aimlessly together in trucks. They can surely relate to the song, as it’s about a couple driving down back roads late at night with the “windows down, country sound, FM on the radio.” Just the perfect background to a late-night date.
The woman gives the man a look that makes him want to stop the truck. He knows he will hold her close and tell her how he feels if she continues to look at him this way.
11. “Teddy Bear” By Red Sovine
Prepare to tear up a little when you listen to “Teddy Bear.” Red Sovine speaks the words of this heartfelt piece with music in the background.
The song follows a young, disabled boy who sits at home all day while his mother struggles to make ends meet. His father was a truck driver, but he died in a wreck. The boy, who calls himself Teddy Bear, becomes lonely and reaches out to nearby truck drivers over the C.B. radio.
Countless truck drivers stop outside the boy’s house and drive him around. They even collect money for his mother. In the end, the mother thanks the truck drivers with teary eyes.
12. “If It Wasn’t For Trucks” By Riley Green
The 2020 single “If It Wasn’t For Trucks” from Riley Green is a love song to a truck. The singer tells his appreciation for all the occasions that his truck had been there for him.
From the lyrics, it’s obvious how much the singer loves his vehicle. He remembers how he cried in his truck the day his grandpa died. He uses the truck to “haul that deer, drink that beer.” His truck also witnessed when he kissed “a green eyed girl.”
All of these moments, and more, have been possible because of his truck. He goes so far as to say that he would be a different person if he had never owned his Chevy.
13. “Sand In My Boots” By Morgan Wallen
And now we are at the end of our list. Let’s cap it with a song that mentions “trucks” in relation to heartbreak. If you must know, very few of the best songs about trucks deal with heartbreak. But American country singer Morgan Wallen crafts a story of lost love with “Sand In My Boots.”
In the song, he tells us about traveling outside of Tennesee and meeting a woman. They spend time at the beach and bars, and she is curious about his hometown. She even mentions that she may want to see the place.
Before he leaves, he asks her to come with him. She never shows up, and he drives home alone in his Silverado, convinced that she would have loved Eastern Tennessee.
Summing Up Our List Of Truck Songs
For many, driving a truck brings with it a unique lifestyle. Farmers and hunters rely on trucks, and people across the country rely on truckers to transport goods. Fathers pass trucks down to their sons, and romance blossoms at the tailgate.
Whether you feel closer to a family member or an old way of life when you drive, you know that a truck is a part of who you are. That love makes these songs about trucks memorable for ages.
