The Southeastern Truck Nationals Continues to Grow
By Tommy Lee Byrd – Photography by the Author
One of the pioneering truck shows of the modern era is the Southeastern Truck Nationals presented by U.S. Mags, an all Chevy and GMC truck show located in Lebanon, Tennessee, just outside of Nashville. In its 13th annual event, the show brought in 1,700 trucks, dozens of vendors, and thousands of spectators, once again proving its popularity and growing its following. As the event grows, Bryan Ashley and crew adds reasons to keep coming back. Last year, it expanded into a two-day show, which was well-received by participants, especially those traveling from afar. This year, another expansion took place and that was an indoor show and shine area inside a brand-new building at the Wilson County Fairgrounds. The air-conditioned building was a popular place to beat the heat, but it was also home to a few dozen high-end trucks.
The event is always held in July, so you can bet on hot and humid conditions, but that doesn’t seem to keep anyone away. Even the threat of rain and storms on Saturday didn’t deter the crowd from coming out. In addition to the awesome truck turnout, vendors came from all over the country to sell merchandise, parts, and advertise their services. In addition to the new parts vendors, there was a swap meet with tons of vintage truck parts perfect for a patina build or restoration. Plenty of trucks in the swap meet and show field were for sale, so picking up a new project could definitely take place if you had enough cash in your pocket.
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As usual, this event had a huge variety of build styles. All Chevy and GMC trucks and SUVs are welcome, so you’ll see trucks from the ’30s all the way to brand-new trucks. Bagged and body dropped Silverados park beside lifted K5 Blazers, and weathered C10 shop trucks park next to high-end show trucks, and the list goes on and on. It’s a melting pot of all things General Motors and it just continues to get bigger and better.
Check out some of the highlights from the 2023 Southeastern Truck Nationals and be sure to stay tuned to gmtruckshow.com for updates on the 2024 dates.
Click on this issue’s cover to see the enhanced digital version of Lucky 13
