Steve and Brenda Lewis entered their rig and trailer in the truck show's newest category, Wash and Show, which allows truckers to display their rigs and participate in the Parade of Lights without having to compete. The Lewis' trailer depicts patriotic images of soldiers, the U.S. military, the American flag, and images from the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Whenever he was in his 2000 Freightliner, hauling a load on the road or participating in a truck show, Bob Brinker's daughter, Amie McKnight, was always with him.

She died September 10, 2005, and Mr. Brinker, and his wife, Shelley, memorialized her by decorating his rig with portraits of her and her favorite actor, Johnny Depp, in a scene depicting Disney's blockbuster film, "Pirates of the Caribbean, Legend of the Black Pearl." The truck won Best of Show for bobtails in this year's Richard Crane Memorial Truck Show in St. Ignace, held Friday, September 15, to Sunday, September 17.

A bobtail is a tractor without a trailer, and on the hood of Mr. Brinker's bobtail is an airbrushed image of Mrs. McKnight and Johnny Depp, as Captain Jack Sparrow, both dressed in pirate attire.

Winning Best of Show for bobtails (tractors without trailers) in this year's St. Ignace Truck Show was Bob and Shelley Brinker's truck, with its "Pirates of the Caribbean, Legends of the Black Pearl" theme. The theme was dedicated to their daughter, Amie McKnight, who died last year. Her image is airbrushed into a scene from the film onto the hood of the truck. She is wearing pirate's clothing and is standing with the film's star, Johnny Depp, who played Captain Jack Sparrow. The annual Truck Show was held Friday, September 15, through Sunday, September 17. "Johnny Depp was Amie's favorite actor," said Mr. Brinker. "She loved the show."

Mr. Brinker, of Grayling, planned a pirate theme for two years, but it became more meaningful after the loss of his daughter.

Artist Al Proulx of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, airbrushed the images on the rig in stunning detail, and added waves on the truck's running boards and other characters and ships from the movie, including a sunken pirate ship. That took two months.

Inside, the flooring, cabinets, and panels inside are made of birdseye maple, suggesting the interior of a pirate ship.

St. Ignace third grade students and their teacher, Amy Metz, point out images in the clouds on Steve and Brenda Lewis' "Honor Guard" trailer, which was displayed at the St. Ignace Middle and Elementary schools Friday, September 15, along with Bob and Shelley Brinker's pirates-themed rig. "Al's dad is a retired wood grader and he picked out the wood for the interior," said Mr. Brinker. "It really set it off as a pirate theme."

Fish netting, a talking toy parrot, a treasure chest, and a bell also add to the interior's pirate theme.

A dragon theme proved successful for Mr. Brinker's truck at past St. Ignace Truck Shows, winning Best of Show three times. The Brinkers missed last year's St. Ignace Truck Show, owing to the loss of their daughter, however, "we're here to take back the title," said Mr. Brinker, which they did, winning five other awards at Sunday's awards ceremony.

Many of the 93 trucks in this year's truck show displayed images of patriotism, with eagles, fighter jets, and the American flag depicted on many, and one standout was the tractor-trailer belonging to Steve and Brenda Lewis. The Lewis tractor is decorated with airbrushed images of fighter planes and jets. On the hood is a jet passing through a plume of smoke as it breaks the sound barrier. On the trailer is a tribute to victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks and to American soldiers.

Two of the Truck Show's judges, St. Ignace Mayor Paul Grondin (left) and City Manager Eric Dodson, make haste in a golf cart downtown while judging the 93 registered trucks. Mr. Lewis named the trailer "Honor Guard," and images of a soldier's funeral, an Apache helicopter flying across the sunset, and soldiers with the American flag adorn one side. The other side depicts the World Trade Center's twin towers, the Statue of Liberty, and firefighters draping a flag on top of the Pentagon after it was hit by an airplane. On each side, more images can be seen in the clouds.

On the back of the trailer is an image of soldiers paying tribute to a falling comrade, and on the front are the names of the first responders who died in the World Trade Center.

Jay Bumpus II, 15, of Hillsdale, stands next to his 1966 Autocar rig, which won him second place in the Working Bobtail, More Than 24 Years Old category. He and his brother, John, and his father, Jay Sr., all competed in this year's truck show. Jay II plans to follow in his father's footsteps as a trucker. He will get his driver's license in October but he'll have to wait a few more years to earn his commercial driver's license for truck driving, as the minimum age is 18. Mr. Lewis, along with airbrush artist Jim Shivelly of Piqua, Ohio, painted the trailer in two weeks, just in time for the St. Ignace Truck Show.

"What we did usually takes four to six months to do," said Mr. Lewis, "but because the truck was on the road so much, we only had two weeks."

"He was painting so much that he would fall asleep as he was painting, sometimes," said Mrs. Lewis. "They worked really hard on it and they put in a lot of long, long hours."

On Friday, Steve and Brenda Lewis of Monroe joined the Brinkers in a display of their trucks at the St. Ignace Middle School and Elementary School.

Rod Obbink's 1978 California Transfer earned him three Truck Show awards. The truck is used to carry bulk commodities. Pictured are (from left) his wife, Amy, Mr. Obbink, and their granddaughter, Erin. The Obbinks are from Holland, Michigan. Mr. Lewis' truck, owned by Bogie's Express owner Bo Trout, was one of seven trucks that participated in the truck show's newest category, the Wash and Show, which allows truckers to display their rigs and participate in the Parade of Lights, but not compete for awards.

"We decided to just display it this year because we didn't have time to polish it and wax it up good enough to compete," Mr. Lewis said. He plans to add images dedicated to Flight 93, which passengers crashed in Pennsylvania after being hijacked on September 11, 2001.

Both the Brinkers and the Lewises travel to truck shows across the country, and by year's end, the Brinkers will have been in 12 shows, with a Miami show coming up.

Both couples agreed the St. Ignace Truck Show is their favorite, mostly because of the show's Parade of Lights.

This year, more than 100 trucks showed off their many lights, making a convoy across the Mackinac Bridge, turning around in Mackinaw City, and then going through downtown St. Ignace.

"You don't get a chance like that at any other truck show," said Mr. Lewis.

"The parade is great and the town's people are great," said Mr. Brinker. "That's why we always look forward to coming back."

Mr. Brinker said truck shows offer a chance for truckers to create a better image of themselves to the public.

"A lot of people have a bad perception of truckers," he said. "Shows like this give us a chance to boost a positive image of us. It's a great time because everybody is celebrating trucking."

Truck Show coordinator Ed Reavie said this year's show was successful.

"We had 93 registered trucks show up during a depressed economy and high fuel prices," he said. "I think that is a great turnout. The number of vendors was doubled and we had great weather. I think everyone was pleased with this year's show."