Get Revved Up: TV’s BEST Truck Shows

For those who majored in all-things automotive with a special concentration in 4×4 rigs, we singled out 10 truck shows available right now for your viewing pleasure. And just because we love you, we went one step further. Our list also highlights some of the particularly fun episodes featuring unique or classic trucks that these shows have to offer. So, get your butt to the couch, and make sure you’re up to date on your cable and Netflix bills. You’ll be busy on this deep dive into some of TV’s best truck shows.

Restoration Garage

Restoration Garage follows David Grainger and the renowned Guild of Automotive Restorers in Ontario, Canada. Grainger and his employees repair, restore, and customize various classic and antique cars – and they certainly aren’t afraid of a challenge.

Truck fans will appreciate Season 2, Episode 5, where team member Jay creates a four-door “Frankentruck” out of twin 1937 Chevy truck cabs. With 8 seasons already out, and the ninth in production, there’s plenty of transformations to check out. Catch Restoration Garage on MotorTrend+, The Roku Channel, Spectrum TV, Prime Video or Vudu.

TruckU

TruckU is a how-to show that focuses on trucks, 4×4’s and SUVs that airs on Sundays at 10:30 AM (ET) and replays on Saturdays at 1 PM (ET) on MotorTrend TV. Monster-truck expert Matt Steele and master mechanic Bruno Massel take on any level of difficulty projects – and absolutely crush it. These can range from DIY maintenance on pickups and SUVs to hard-core off-road performance upgrades on Jeeps and ATVs.

Watch Season 15, Episode 10, where they continue working on a unique 1958 Chevy Apache Stepside Pickup. It’s a heartfelt episode, showcasing three generations of love for one truck. Bruno and Matt discuss the wiring gremlins, then give the gauges and stereo a makeover that’s sure to impress. For those who enjoy this show, there’s excellent news… Season 19 is in the works and planning on appearing sometime in 2023.

Diesel Brothers

A brainchild of the Discovery Channel, Diesel Brothers promises two things: crazy trucks and always diesel. It’s hosted by Heavy D and Diesel Dave, two bearded bros from Utah with big personalities to match their even bigger custom builds. The show is what Jalopnik calls “peak ‘Murica” – and we have to agree, as it might be the truckiest of truck shows on this list.

These guys seem to live by the motto “Work hard, play hard,” evidenced by their ridiculous, yet often hilarious, antics — like in Season 2, Episode 11 where they attempt to “dieselfy” a Prius. Unfortunately, their on-screen actions sometimes have off-screen repercussions. After removing Diesel Particulate Filters while the cameras were rolling, the state of Utah slapped Heavy D and Diesel Dave with an $800,000 fine for violating EPA exhaust emissions laws. The not-so-bright-idea ensured that the most recent season (No. 8) was their last. However, if you want to catch up on the chaos from former seasons, the show is available on most streaming services.

Bitchin’ Rides

Bitchin’ Rides follows Dave Kindig and his team at Kindig-It Design. Viewers are treated to truly unique customizations on all makes and models from all time periods. Truck lovers should check out the episode “The F Five Ohhhh” from Season 3. In it, Kindig and his team modify a 1954 Ford F-150 to epic performance proportions with a customized interior to suit its 6’5″ owner.

Newcomers to the show will be glad to know there’s a whopping nine seasons of back content to binge – including many that feature famous customers seeking the ultimate vehicle makeover. Existing longtime fans will have to keep an eye out for an official show status announcement, as there’s no word yet on whether Bitchin’ Rides is canceled or renewed for Season 10.

1954 Ford F-150

Top Gear

With their trove of TV awards and nominations, as well as a cult-like fan following, Top Gear might be the prom king of car and truck shows on this list. The show is a British program launched in 2002 and is actually a reboot of the 1977 original show of the same name.

Covering everything from car reviews to test drives to car-build challenges, Top Gear has featured various hosts throughout the years who are always informative, entertaining and skilled at finding time for hysterical wild antics. For example, what better way to measure the smoothness of off-road vehicles than by being tattooed during transit?

With 33 seasons, these guys have seen, examined, driven, modified, and crashed countless vehicles. Truck lovers will get a kick out of Season 3, Episode 5 in which the hosts do nearly every damaging act they can think of to try and kill a Toyota pickup. Its durability will be sure to impress. And if you’re worried the show will be too “British” for you, check out the hilarious episode in Season 9 where the hosts take a road trip across the southern US and almost get shot in Alabama. New episodes air on BBC America and AMC+, but many past seasons can be found on Netflix or Amazon Prime Video.

If it turns out Top Gear is, in fact, somehow too British for you, then check out Top Gear America. Based on the UK version, the show’s three seasons feature a variety of American treasures including actor Dax Shepard and NHRA champ Antron Brown.

Wheeler Dealers

Another import from across the pond, Wheeler Dealers, is perfect for all automotive enthusiasts. The host Mike Brewer, teams up with knowledgeable mechanics to repair and restore classic rides with the end goal of reselling them. In Season 12, Episode 2, Mike snags an unfinished 1950’s Ford F-1 that needs a truckload of work done. Watch fan-favorite Edd China work his magic on it, including building a high-spec flathead V8 and creating a rat rod paint scheme based on a ‘sandstorm in the desert.’

In our opinion, Edd is what sets this show apart from the competition. A master mechanic, he always took the time to patiently and effectively explain step-by-step repair details. Unfortunately, when Discovery’s Velocity network picked up the show, they deemed Edd’s in-depth sequences “too difficult” to make.

Rather than cut corners, Edd chose to leave the show in 2017. His replacement, Ant Anstead, was a great addition but he chose to leave when the show moved back to the UK in 2020. Now, Marc ‘Elvis’ Priestley, a former Formula 1 mechanic for McLaren, holds the role, and you can catch up on his most recent season (as well as all the golden oldies) on MotorTrend+. New episodes of Wheeler Dealers should drop in Fall of 2023.

Counting Cars

A spin-off of the hit show Pawn Stars, Counting Cars follows “Count” Danny Kroker of the restoration and customization garage Count’s Kustoms as he buys and flips classic rides. While the show gives off a pretty strong scripted-reality vibe, it still features diverse vehicles in an entertaining setting. Kroker and his team seem willing to take on any challenge regardless of make or model, and they work fast to make a profit. As he says “We find ‘em, fix ‘em, flip ‘em and sometimes, I keep ‘em. For my crew, every job is high stakes, and we can’t afford to lose.”

With 10 seasons, you can pop some popcorn and have a relaxing night-in watching them all on History Channel.

Hot Rod Garage

This project build show from HOT ROD Magazine landed on the scene in 2014, and is still going strong 10 seasons later. Automotive icons of Roadkill fame, David Freiburger and Mike Finnegan originally hosted the show but then handed it off to professional drifter Tony Angelo and TV mechanic Lucky Costa. The two were a hit, as viewers loved seeing how their unbelievable knowledge could create hot rods in every shape imaginable.

Truck lovers with a fondness for their high-school hand-me-down should check out Season 6, Episode 4. Angelo and Costa turn a plain-Jane Chevy S-10 into a smokin’ vehicle that any teenager would be ecstatic to own.

While Angelo has since said good-bye (he left in 2022), Hot Rod Garage still has plenty to offer. Drag racer and YouTube personality, Alex Taylor, recently joined the crew and her instant camaraderie with Lucky has added something special to the show.

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Garage Squad

A DIY-themed automotive show, Garage Squad stands out for its commitment to featuring regular people and their pet projects. The show takes submissions from owners who have hit roadblocks on their restoration projects. (As well as some family members who are fed up with half-finished vehicles taking up space in the garage.)

After selecting a nomination, the team shows up and helps to overhaul and finish the project so it can live out its full potential on the open road. And viewers don’t just learn from the crew’s expertise — the owner is expected to roll up their sleeves and contribute as well. If this sounds like your type of show, then binge-watch all 8 seasons on MotorTrend+ and look for any news on show renewal for Season 9.

Fastest Car

A newbie compared to other truck shows on this list, Fastest Car launched on Netflix in 2018 with a very simple pitch: What if we took regular, everyday auto enthusiasts who own insanely-modified sleepers and pitted them against exotic supercars in a quarter-mile drag race?

Obviously, this is a recipe any gearhead can get behind. Each episode introduces the competitors and their builds, slowly building anticipation until the final face-off. The real treat here is that if trucks are your jam, you’ll always get to root for the underdog. A few project builds to grace the show have been a 1927 Dodge pickup, 1977 Toyota Hilux, and 1992 Chevy S10.

Of course, in true Netflix style, the show was cancelled after only two seasons and rave reviews. However, you can still catch back episodes on the streaming giant’s service.

What do you think? Did we forget any gems? Let us know in the comments what your favorite truck shows are!

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