Typically, when we think of stuffed animals, we associate them with little kids. We all probably had a favorite stuffed animal or animals when we were kids. But as adults, we’ve probably moved on from the giant collection of stuffed animals on the bed.
However, we might have noticed that there are sometimes stuffed animals strapped to the front of large, long-haul trucks. Why is that?
Back in 2005, The New York Times decided to do an investigation in order to figure out the reason why truck drivers sometimes add a stuffed animal to the front of the truck.
They often seem to be like a little symbol on the front of the truck – similar to the bow of a ship – that is just a fun way to express their identity. But moreover, the meaning behind it is rather innocent and playful.
Oftentimes, the trucks are ginormous, so they can be intimidating to other cars on the road. But by having something cute and cuddly on the front of their trucks, it helps to shatter that image of them being these “road beasts” who will run you off the road.
As Monroe Denton, a lecturer in art history at the School of Visual Arts, explained to the Times, “There was some sort of heraldic device to deny the fact of this gigantic machine. You would have these humanizing forms, anthropomorphic forms—a device that both proclaims the identity of the machine and conceals it.”
Interestingly enough, the stuffed animals on the front of garbage trucks are often “rescues,” which means that they’ve been saved from the garbage and given a new life on top of their truck’s bumpers. It’s almost the same as bumper stickers!
As Kelly Horn of River Valley Disposal in Columbia, Pennsylvania explained to Lancaster Online, “It’s hard, it’s dirty and they’re outside in the elements. It’s not like they have a desk where you can put pictures of your family. They are just trying to personalize things and have some fun.”
But the practice of putting stuffed animals on a truck varies from country to country and based on different cultures. For example, in Southeast Asia, the practice is often associated with the belief that toys can appease ghosts or spirits and keep them from causing accidents. Whereas in the UK, the practice is banned as there is a worry that a kid might accidentally run after a truck if they see a toy, which could be a potentially dangerous situation.
What are the rules where you live? Do you often see trucks with stuffed toys on them? Let us know!