This Man's Incredible Story Of Loss, Charity And Arson Proves That You Can't Keep A Good Truck Man Down

For Chad Smith, losing his mother to breast cancer in 2009 was just the beginning. He knew he would always remember his loving mother, but there was an urge to do something more. Chad wanted to honour the patients and families affected by breast cancer in her memory. How does a truck guy properly show how much he cares? By dedicating his truck to the cause.

Chad had purchased a new Chevy 2500 Duramax in 2008, which he then built over a course of four years into a memorial for his mother. During those years, Chad toured the US, attending as many truck shows as he could to spread the word of breast cancer awareness. The campaign caught national recognition, and Chad’s truck and his large following on social media became known as OneBadChad.

With a growing community behind him, Chad was able to continue his journey and make dreams come true for so many other people. Appearing at charity events, truck, bike and car shows, he raised money for the Alight Foundation and Little Pink Houses of Hope.

While on the road, he would stop between events to visit the hospitals and homes where so many fans were battling cancer. On some occasions, it meant driving hundreds of miles out of the way. Last summer, OneBadChad got a makeover with an unmistakable bright pink wrap. He hit the road again, travelling the nation from north to south and coast to coast twice.

With new sponsors and a freshly dipped truck, OneBadChad was creating a big scene everywhere it went. The truck rolled through more auto shows, races and stunt events than ever before. When 2015 came around, Chad had a full schedule of shows to attend. Then this happened:

On 12th February at 3am, Chad got a phone call that no petrolhead should ever have to receive. He was told that his truck was on fire. At first, he thought it was a joke, but then his father confirmed the bad news. Someone had boldly doused the truck in gasoline while it was parked in the driveway and set it ablaze.

All the hard work, money and love poured into his big pink machine was gone in minutes. Chad says that the most priceless things he lost in the fire were a Bible his mother had given him several years ago and a few pictures of her that were tucked inside. Damaging a man’s truck is bad enough, but when it is a memory of a loved one, it just goes too far. Police have a suspect, but at the speed of justice, nothing has happened to him yet. Chad knows that material possessions can be replaced, but the act of destroying the memorial to his mother is something he will never forget.

OneBadChad was more that just a memorial to one woman, though. It meant so much to all those battling cancer of any form. It inspired others to make ‘awareness rides’, and it raised funds for a good cause. The attack on Chad’s truck slowed him down, but it will not stop him. Today, his truck is in the shop, awaiting the hard work of Chad and the work of his friends, family and supporters. Over the next several months, it will be torn down and rebuilt back to its original beauty. “I want nothing more or less,” Chad says, “I just want my truck back on the road.”

To follow the progress of the rebuild, visit the facebook page or website of OneBadChad. We look forward to seeing TwoBadChad when it’s revealed!

In loving memory of Bonnie Smith, and to the many brave cancer fighters: Keep on Truckin’