Analyzing the Arenas-The Good and Bad in Monster Trucks

As the majority of the opening season for most of the 2026 monster truck promotions draw to a close, while some technically don’t have a “season” and continue with shows into the spring, the indoor portion of the year has provided multiple different options for what is the casual fan of the industry.

Those that make it a point to experience different shows, different vibes, drivers and trucks often do so because they have a passion for the entire industry.

It allows one to get a feel for how monster trucks, as a whole, are able to bring generations together and have casual, yet respectful, debates on who is better at the wheel, or what trucks gain the most attention.  In a business that operates sometimes an entire weekend, with an occasional five-show slate, it still packs in fans that continue to support an industry that has been a staple in America for 51 years.

The opportunity to attend multiple shows over the course of months is hard to come by, even before the cost of getting to the show increased exponentially.  Still, since the start of the calendar year, I had the opportunity to enjoy three different promoters, in three different cities, and 23 different trucks and drivers.

Each show and promoter, just like in years past, has pros and cons.  It’s up to others to decide what they want to enjoy.

This is just analysis from the viewpoint of behind the camera, in the stands, during the action.

TOUGHEST MONSTER TRUCK TOUR:  January 30-31

On average, my year doesn’t start with what is the biggest promoter of shows.  The first month in the year means a show that has popular trucks, popular drivers, but are not part of a “fleet” or drive trucks that are owned by the company.

The first show of my season was in Youngstown, Ohio, where the Toughest Monster Truck Tour has consistently put on events that are hard to forget.

There’s no trucks with red headlights, fins, nor floppy ears.

Instead, the lineup consisted of drivers that have become personal friends, with truck names that are recognized due to uniqueness in ideas.  It felt as though I walked into a family dinner, with so many stories and moments.  Starting the season at this show is refreshing, as I know it’s always a good time.

PROS:  Although the names may not be as recognized as some other ones in the industry, the Toughest Tour gets some extremely big players to compete each weekend.  DCT Powersports, led by the big man himself, Jerry Beck, makes sure that the field is on notice with every competition.  He brings the entire fleet of trucks for every show during the winter season, with him at the helm of the truck that launched his career, Dirt Crew.

Add in the Dirt Crew Dozer, the medieval Maximus, and the world’s largest block set in Blockhead, and that alone would be enough to make a show.

Throw in the two dinosaurs, the classic Jurassic Attack and the newest dino on tour, Velociraptor, and it’s a lineup anyone can be proud of.

Add in that every driver does not let up at any point, whether in skills, racing, or freestyle, and you have the potential of having a show that could be filled with wild moments, or a show that means loading trucks in the hauler via a loader.

The track is kept simple, with actual metal car obstacles, and it leaves the driver as the one to decide how to attack the dirt, the jumps, loader tires and cars.

CONS:  The show itself is not the con, but more on the uncertainty of how one is going to feel inside the building.

Most of these events happen in the northern tier of the country, such as Wyoming, Ohio, both South and North Dakota, and Michigan.  There are stops in Louisiana and New Mexico, but even during the time of year, the weather plays a factor for fans.

This year, the first show of the weekend came just as a severe arctic blast came across the mid-Atlantic areas.  Friday night, the outside temperatures were colder than what the state of Alaska was feeling.  The need to keep the rear door open for ventilation made it so the cold air had a way into the building, and many fans were wrapped up in hoodies, beanies, heavy coats and gloves.

Fans were rushing out the door to get to the lot and start engines just to warm up.  That’s how I was alongside my girlfriend since it was that cold.

The show itself is well worth the price of tickets; however, the risk of the cold is coming with mostly every show.  Bundle up to wait outside until the doors open, because the action on the floor heats up right away.

Monster Jam Pittsburgh:  February 6

It’s hard to avoid going to an arena show of the biggest promoter of monster trucks, especially when three different arena tours happen every weekend for most of the first three months of the season.  But Feld Entertainment has a near strangle on the industry, despite other tours doing extremely well in their own right.

So, it’s only fitting to visit the closest show to me in a city that built champions, and built a lot of structures, forged in steel and iron.

Monster Jam is what many kids in today’s era associate with monster trucks, expecting at some point to see someone prove they can handle these beasts with precise control, while on the verge of going past the line of no return.

When it comes to adults, they bring their kids because it’s what they enjoy, and at the same time can look back on the eras the sport has gone through.  It’s all in good fun.

PROS:  It is clear that in this modern era, drivers go through a lot of training in some aspect to handle these machines.  Some do so at a training facility, while others that maintain their own trucks have to do so on their own time.

It leads to seeing some young talent show that with a lot of practice, there’s nothing that can’t be done in a truck that weighs around six tons.

I am fortunate to be able to watch some of these drivers grow up and continue to get better equipment with each passing season and see how they improve every year when equipment gets better, and they continue to evolve.

Seeing drivers like both Triton and Montana Robbins continue to show that they are among the elite drivers while not even in their prime, plus Jon Zimmer Jr. take a name that he made famous and continue to prove the apple rolled down the tree as he runs alongside his dad.

Every driver goes full tilt, and they often push the limit to where they have to stop, whether because of broken parts or safety protocols.

This is why the best drivers continue to compete year after year, culminating in the biggest event of the entire season in the summer to determine world champions.

CON:  Simply put, the biggest takeaway for arena shows from Monster Jam is two words:  the pod.

The original concept was introduced back in 2015, sort of a “hybrid” obstacle in the center of the floor that had multiple angles to hit and give fans across the entire grandstand a great view.  It started out as dirt and metal, with cars added for freestyle, and has since morphed into a couple variations that include logs, heavy equipment tires, and dual-axle semi tires.  There’s even one made for arenas that don’t allow dirt, but the trucks compete on the concrete to “Amp Up” the action.

Unfortunately, over the years, the pod has become too familiar and unchanged.  The lone change in the last few seasons is the 8-pack of semi tires being turned parallel to the walls to allow for backflips.

Aside from that, it does not leave much to the imagination in how trucks and drivers can attack.  Every freestyle seems to be the same, hitting each of the 6-8 options the same way, but maybe with more momentum or in different sequences.

After a decade of the modern layout, it’s become stale.  The pod needs some slight changes.  Not a complete overhaul, but just a few tweaks to give it a different look.  Instead of a true hexagon look, maybe extend the center ramps or shorten the distance between the side jumps on one side.

It may not happen yet, but it is something needing consideration.  You can only see the same obstacle so much until every possible use of it is found.

Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live:  April 18-19

When an event is about a half hour from the house, it’s hard to pass up the opportunity to attend.  When it’s a three-show weekend, it’s harder to not attend every show.

In 2019, when it was revealed that Hot Wheels was back involved in doing their own monster trucks, with licensing from major teams to do bodies, the next step was to bring the machines to life.  And that season, it became a reality.  The pandemic brought one of the hottest new tours to a screeching halt, with events not picking up fully until late 2021.  Approximately a year later, the idea of having neon lights on every truck was brought to life, along with turning the lights down to let the neon shine.

The Glow Party, and now the Glow and Fire, idea is different, while the show is very much the same as it has been from the beginning.  A simple $3.88 diecast became a 12,000-pound machine right in front of everyone’s eyes and has been bringing in the fans since the start.

PROS:  From the beginning, the original format or layout of a Hot Wheels show was made similar to the Thunder Nationals in the 90’s and 2000’s.  Dirt was nonexistent, and drivers had to plow into fresh metal.  Hot Wheels did that and also took a nod from another previous tour and decided to put the cars on tires to prevent them from moving.

From wheelie contests to donuts, drivers still try to put their own spin to get the crowd on their side.  Some teams for donuts go as far as spraying window cleaner or tire shine on the tread to give them a better chance at spinning and making smoke.  Between shows, fresh metal is brought in so that each event has the same vibe, and overall, the new stacks get crushed, and drivers are not hitting old cars with higher potential on cutting tires.

It’s a modern ode to the past, and teams enjoy it.

Wear and tear on equipment is lighter but still happens.  Trucks will break axles, blow engines, and roll over, but the overall major maintenance is very low and only when necessary.

This ensures every truck has a high probability of making every performance and give fans the best opportunity to see all their favorites.

CON:  If you are expecting a lot of classic items like one would expect from the Thunder Nationals past, this is not exactly the show.  Not saying that is a bad thing, but the overall focus for the show is catered to the kids.  The young fans get to be involved a lot in the show by saying the scores of some competitions, being involved in giveaways and getting to join in a dance off while the crews take the freestyle motocross setup off the floor.

If you’re looking for a show where it comes down to some racing championships for each event, you’re sadly not going to get it.

Seven trucks perform the first three competitions, and based on points, only five will come back and perform in freestyle.  If there’s a tie at any point based on points, they will sometimes do six trucks, or if one breaks during freestyle and they want to ensure the fans get what is expected.

For adults, and the true “hardcore” fans, maybe it’s not the show that is your cup of tea.

That said, if you are a casual fan that just loves trucks, and wants to have a light-hearted kind of experience at a show, you can’t go wrong.

Trying to do photos can be a challenge, since the entire show minus freestyle motocross is done in darkness.

 

There’s other indoor tours that do events during the first part of the season, with big name trucks and strong drivers.  But, overall, the top three above consistently have drawn in the biggest crowds, put on the top performances, and find a way to get better over the prior season.

Whatever the case is, every show has some strong vibes, and some aspects that are unnecessary.  In the end, the consumer is the one who decides where they spend money on tickets.

Have fun, enjoy the show, see multiple shows with different trucks.

The sport loves fans that are unbiased, and go just because they love seeing big trucks with big tires.  After all, the only difference between men/women and girls/boys…is the price of the toys.