Road trips are now the rad thing to do. Most candyfloss love dramas and youth-centric movies have long shots of buddies just spilling out onto the wild wild country side for a taste of nature.
In India though, along with the traffic, honking and tremendously breath taking scenery, there is a tinge of humor.
You see trucks and their drivers share a special bond not unlike a pet and master. They spend long stretches of time in their trucks, driving from state to state, across borders. Most name them and some animate them with jingly decor. But all of them surely paint them! Intricate design, to scenery, to satyavachan (advise) and casual humor. they have it all! So much so that it has almost evolved into an art form.
STOP! HORN OK PLEASE! Here are a few funny signs that would make you stop, stare, and honk in agreement and praise for the art.
1. 
India is great! : Let’s start with the most common one. No one misses painting this no matter how much more you may have painted your truck, because patriotism must be displayed. Left, right and centre!
2.
Awaaz Dedo ( Throw me a shout!) : Beautifully painted in bright colours, in typical Bollywood poster style, this is also one of the common ones telling the driver behind the truck to shout out just in case.
3.
‘Take posin but do not believe on girls’ : Ignoring the spelling, this is what I call ‘Satyavachan’. The driver has surely had some life changing experiences to be warding off his fellow road mates from the calamity that befalls when you trust a girl. Haha.
4.
‘ Oh you who eyes my truck and luck, may you live on for a hundred years and your children die alcoholics!’ : Just plain morbid.
5.
Another satyavachan. This board even catches attention because of its typography and color combination. Boys reading this, you have supporters who feel your pain on the road as well.
6.
‘Mother’s blessings’ : Important for all of us, and important to remember forever. Which makes me think, maybe truck paintings are what tattoos are for hipster groups elsewhere. ‘MOM’.
7.
‘ Want to come to Khandala? Don’t leave my side, love’ : Inventing a new style of flirting before it was cool. Or maybe this was for the truck.
8.
‘The offspring of a ship’ : Dream big! Dream strong they say! I like the confidence.
9.
You know what you must do.
10.
HAHA, he did mean dipper, but you’ve just got to appreciate the pun.
11.
Either you say that the country is great or you go out of the box and put it in a quote : ‘ This tree of Neem is not less than Sandal, Lucknow is no less than London.
Well done *Slow clap*
12.
Beware! She says she is the sweetheart of the enemy. The last thing you want is a few hundred trucks follwoing you as you run for your life on a dark, spooky road. Don’t like the sound of that do you?
13.
Go slow, we meet again, go fast, you’ll meet Haridwar. (Which means you’ll be off to Heaven). Morbid is surely the new polite.
14.
A famous Bollywood dialogue- ‘ Don’t keep smiling at me, you’ll fall in love.’ Aha.
15.
Overtake me if you dare, else have patience and follow.
Word has been said.
16.
Humans have aspirations. So do trucks. Transformers anyone?
17.
There is no better way than shayari to show pragmatism on the oil crisis. We especially love the way the idea of space dawns midway on the painter.
And a bonus for you !!
No truck post is complete without…
.. have you come across quirky truck paintings on your trips? Share them with us!
