What Makes A Truck A 'Bubba Truck?'

It would be impossible to list all of the various nicknames and nomenclature used across the various automotive and truck subcultures. Not only because there are so many different colloquialisms out there, but also because now, in the age of social media, new ones are popping up all the time. For example, when it comes to America's vast pickup truck customization scene, you may have heard or seen the term Bubba Truck come up in the last few years – especially on your social media feeds.

If you aren't deep into the weeds on the latest truckin' lingo, you're probably wondering what exactly makes a truck a Bubba Truck. Like so many slang terms and nicknames, there are no hard and fast rules that officially deem a pickup a Bubba Truck, nor is there any official source or single person credited with creating the term. But a 'Bubba Truck is generally seen as a full-size or heavy-duty pickup with a work truck influence, modified with traditional off-road truck upgrades, but in a less flashy way, with stock wheels, oversized tires, and a minimum lift. 

The formula for a Bubba Truck is pretty simple, and while the term itself may be recent, one could argue that 'Bubba Trucks' have been rolling around rural and suburban America long before the age of TikTok and Instagram. Typically, when modifying their pickup truck (or any other vehicle, for that matter), one of the first things people do is swap out their factory wheels for something aftermarket. Not on a Bubba Truck. A Bubba Truck retains its stock wheels, or at most, uses a set of factory wheels from another truck. But the wheels are mounted with all-terrain or off-road tires that are much larger and more aggressive than the original tires. Because of that, the chunky tires dominate the look.

Then there's the stance, which is the other key part of these builds. Rather than an aggressive suspension lift kit or full body lift, a Bubba Truck will usually have a more subtle lift, often done with a simple leveling kit. Many lifted trucks have fenders that sit well above their tires; a Bubba Truck has a stance where there's just enough clearance for the enlarged tires not to rub the body, but nothing beyond that. A Bubba Truck is, by intention, supposed to look like its fenders can barely contain its beefy, aggressive tires. In other words, an antidote to the aggressively lifted "bro trucks" that run low-profile tires on ultra-wide aftermarket wheels.

In addition to those modifications, a truck bed tool box is another common pickup accessory that's often seen on Bubba Trucks, and one that further gives these trucks a certain working-class functionality (or at least the appearance of it). It also distinguishes a Bubba Truck from some of the more racey off-road pickups or polished show trucks out there. Stronger, more rugged aftermarket bumpers are another common Bubba Truck upgrade, but not necessarily a required one to pull off the look.

To show just how prevalent the term has become in online truck enthusiast circles, there's an Instagram account dedicated to Bubba Trucks that currently has over 114,000 followers. Now, will people still use this term 10 or 20 years from now, or will the 'Bubba Truck' end up being a distinctly 2020s social media thing? That's hard to predict. But even if the term 'Bubba Truck' doesn't gain household familiarity in every part of America, there's certainly an enduring, blue-collar appeal to these trucks. As mentioned a moment ago, a version of the Bubba Truck has been around for a long time, and no matter what they may be called, we don't see them going away anytime soon.