Independent Truck Company

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The Independent Truck Company is an American manufacturer of skateboard trucks and apparel based in Santa Cruz. The trucks are made in the Emrico foundry, in the Bay area of San Francisco.

The company was co-founded by Fausto Vitello and NHS in 1978, and the first set of trucks to make a public appearance was the Stage 1 on May 23, 1978 in Newark CA. According to co-designer Rick Blackhart, the Independent truck (or Indy) was designed as a response to the lack of good skateboard trucks on the market at the time; Blackhart stated that, of the two main other truck companies on the market, ' one broke, and one didn’t turn ', referring to Bennett Truks and Tracker Trucks, respectively.

Independent trucks are considered the best trucks on the market today. Skateboarding professionals who ride for other truck companies often use Independent trucks on their personal decks.^[1]

The latest model of Independent Trucks, the Stage 9, was released in March 2003, being marketed as “lighter, stronger, better.” It differs from previous models by using 4140 chrome molly steel axles, has the Indy Cross logo scribed into the baseplate. The baseplate has cutouts for weight savings and a four hole mounting pattern, foregoing the six hole pattern of the two previous stages making the trucks incompatible with boards that that are drilled with the old-school mounting pattern spec. Independent also discontinued the 109 truck in 2006.

The original Independent slogan was "THEY’RE #*X^!!! HOT!" although their more recent slogan is; “Built to grind.”

The Independent Stage 9 Low truck was released on the 9 September 2006, being 10% lighter, made of 356 aluminium heat treated to T6 condition, and with grade 8 kingpins. Eric Koston left Royal Trucks and signed with Independent and helped finish the design of the Indy Low. As of mid 2006, in the words of an Independent Truck Co spokesperson, “we have no plans to make a Stage 10 anytime soon. That would mean we would have to change something about the truck and we really like the Stage 9. Plus we just came out with the 1st ever Stage 9 Indy Low truck. Stage 9 will be around for awhile”

The Independent Trucks brand is distributed by NHS Distribution. They have a clothing & accessories range, sell spare parts, and released a book titled “Built to Grind 25 Years of Hardcore Skateboarding” in 2003 on the 25th anniversary of the brand.