Meet the Former Rodeo Cowboy Behind the Ford Truckle
The Texas sun beat down on the State Fair, but inside the air-conditioned auto show halls, a piece of history was waiting.
For University of Texas alumnus Ryan Carr, it was a nostalgic return to the fairgrounds with his wife, a place they hadn't visited since college. But this trip would end with a unique souvenir that perfectly captured his family’s past and his own future: the very first "Truckle™."
The Truckle is a new, limited-edition belt buckle that is both a tribute to heritage and a nod to modern tech. Hand-crafted by artisan buckle maker Andy Andrews, the buckle features an intricate engraving of a classic 1975 F-150.
Its clever secret is a hidden compartment on the back, designed to securely hold a modern Ford key fob. It’s a symbol of where truck culture has been and where it’s going.
For Carr, an F-150® Lightning® owner, the connection was immediate.
"I was sitting there thinking, 'Man, that would be a really cool thing to have,'" he recalled. When he found out Ford was raffling one off, he entered, never expecting to win.
When his number was called, it felt like fate.
Carr isn't just any driver; he's a former Navy F-18 pilot who now works as a flight test engineer. He understands performance, and the F-150 Lightning's power genuinely surprised him.
"The acceleration when you just step on the accelerator ... it feels very similar to a catapult shot off the front of the boat," Carr said, describing the feeling of instant torque. "It's wild. I can get this out of an electric truck."
His decision to buy a 2024 F-150 Lightning XLT was a practical one, rooted in a family legacy of F-150 ownership.
His dad drove one, and his father-in-law still does. A flight test engineer by trade, Carr crunched the numbers himself. He discovered his electric truck was in a class of its own, outperforming his previous vehicles. And, it feels like he is back in the cockpit of a jet when he puts his foot down.
“The acceleration when you just step on the accelerator feels very similar to a catapult shot off the front of the boat.”Ryan Carr, F-150® Lightning® owner and former Navy F-18 pilot
"It's my favorite car I've ever owned," he stated simply. "It feels like an F-150. It drives like an F-150 ... but I plug it in at night at my house, and I have a full ‘tank of gas' every morning’"
As the first customer to receive the Truckle, Carr now holds a true collector's item. He's already shown it to his coworkers, who were duly impressed, and it's become a great conversation piece. He’s still deciding whether to wear it or find a special place to mount it inside his truck, a testament to its artisan quality.
For a driver with a legacy of F-Series trucks behind him and the power of an electric motor under his foot, it wasn't just a lucky draw. It was a perfect fit.
Jake Bley is a wannabe Truckle owner.
