The tough economic times we live in shouldn't preclude me from having to scrimp on various truck accessories for my vehicle. While I am not so fortunate to have a personal and professional vehicle, just being able to maintain my own painting business and subsequently being my own boss is a great thing.

When it does come to customization, however, there are certain add ons I need for the job. In addition to a variety of toolboxes that I can lock up, one of the biggest accessories is really a requirement. Ladder racks are essential to any painter that is not 17 feet tall! And while I'm a nicely sized 6', without the capability to carry around a number of ladders, I would never be able to get enough work to make a living.

And while the average height of homes in Northern Arizona are within the 1 to 1.5 story range, there are a number of applications where having 20 to 30 foot ladders gets me the job over someone who's not made the same investment.

Now when it comes to the personal use of my truck, I have always enjoyed the look of bull bars on the front of the vehicle. No, there's not much use for it in the painting business, but I have helped a buddy or two out of a ditch because I had one properly installed (and looking good!)

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but my son will be graduating from high school in May! It seriously seems like only yesterday that we were leaving the hospital with little baby Joseph in our arms. And now, in the blink of an eye, he’s graduating at the top of his class, and he’s headed to a great college to become a finance major.

So, as a way to show him how proud we are, my wife and I decided to get him a truck for his graduation present. He’s had his eye on this one truck at the local dealership, and it’s only fair to get it for him. He truly has earned it. 

I just can’t wait to see his face when we hand him the keys to his new ride. I must admit, it’s a pretty nice truck. It has all of the truck accessories you could ever want—tonneau covers and fender flares. He’s going to absolutely love it! Plus, he’s going to need a big truck to haul all of his stuff to his dorm room at the university.

It’s sad to see him grow up so fast, but at the same time, I couldn’t have asked for a better kid. I really am so proud of him!