I’ve found myself collecting more and more #Hot Wheels Monster Trucks (HWMT) lately thanks to the unique castings the line offers. When Hot Wheels and Monster Jam split in the summer of 2018, I thought there was no way a line of mostly unlicensed trucks could survive. Yet — here we are — as the Hot Wheels Monster Trucks have piqued my interest in a variety of ways.

One of the more unique #Monster Trucks is the #Will Trash It All. Designed by all-star Hot Wheels designer, Brendan Vetuskey, and named after the son of marketing’s Jimmy Liu; this garbage truck turned monster truck is totally badass. This is where not having to be based off a real-world counterpart allows for total creative freedom as there is probably no way a design like this could be a suitable performer on tour due to weight alone. None of those real world physics need here apply here however. The lone objective of this design is to appeal to every kid out there who was (or is) fascinated by garbage and/or monster trucks.

For me, I loved garbage & monster trucks growing up. I wrote that I wanted to be a garbage man when I was 5, and attended a monster truck show every time they were in town. I love this design and feel as though #Will Trash It All embodies what the HWMT line is all about: originality.

The first release of the #Will Trash It All came out just last year — followed by another release to round out 2020. The graphics on the #First Edition releases tend to be how the designer envisioned the casting as the same applies to mainline vehicles in Hot Wheels basics. This HW Metro release wore a deco that resembled a garbage truck complete with orange paint, caution lines, and even a little recycling symbol made out of Hot Wheels logos. It was clear this one was named, “Will Trash It All” as the casting’s name was visible on the package, and on both the cab & hopper. As simplistic as that sounds, this isn’t the norm for most HWMT castings.

The next release of #Will Trash It All came a couple months later as there was a special HWMT Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) series at Target. Raphael, the big & bulky turtle that is cool but rude, got the big & bulky garbage truck to represent him. Garbage trucks can be cool and rude as well so this one seemed like a perfect character match. The TMNT graphics on these were done exceptionally well, and the bright red paint sure suited the character.

#Will Trash It All just recently returned in 2021 — as one of the last mixes for the #Hot Wheels Monster Trucks year. Sadly, it did not return to a garbage truck deco, but on the other hand: that has been done already. Instead, this release as part of the “Wheel Cool” series embarked on another redeeming quality of the HWMT line: creativity. With unlicensed trucks, there are no licensors to appeal to, and designers can often do some pretty cool things. In this case, the rear hatch — an #Opening Feature I hadn’t even mentioned yet — is designed to look like the head of a dinosaur/lizard creature. To me, its creativity as it’s finest as 2D design comes alive as part of a 3D casting. I still can’t stop opening and closing the rear hatch without doing some kind of chomping motion.

The yellow tires play into the Wheel Cool series as every truck in the series has an interesting tire design. It may not be realistic, but who cares! Monster Trucks are loud and eccentric, so really anything goes. I think that is why I enjoy them: original designs paired with creative decos. I’m really enjoying collecting a few of the castings, and #Will Trash It All is one of them.

Are you collecting the HWMT line? If so, which ones are you collecting? More on HWMT soon…