A group of Bryan High School Career and Technical Education (CTE) students in Bryan, Texas, spent the last school year building a 1/3-scale monster truck from scratch. The mini monster truck project is part of Northern Tool + Equipment’s Tools for the Trades program. The program partnered with the school and Monster Jam to make the build happen. The build’s official name is the Northern Tool + Equipment Tools for the Trades Monster Jam Mini Build—supported by DEWALT, Ingersoll Rand, and Milwaukee Tool.

What Is The Tools For The Trades Program?

The Tools for the Trades program provides instruction and guidance, from experts, along with donations of tools and financial support to educational institutions. Its mission is to inspire and equip both students and educators as they pursue technical education and careers in the skilled trades. The program offers a variety of unique experiences, and this build included working with Monster Jam’s El Toro Loco driver Armando Castro, ThunderROARus driver Colt Stephens, and several other Monster Jam crew members.

A Custom Chassis, Air-Cooled Engine, And More

The team designed and fabricated the chassis of the truck using 1 1/4 x 1 1/4 x 1/8-inch and 1 x 1 x 1/8-inch carbon steel square tubing. It’s powered by an air-cooled NorthStar 740cc EFI engine. Power is routed through a Go Power Sports 30 Series Torque Converter Kit, which includes a sprocket for the truck’s chain drive. The front axle was fabricated by the students using 2-inch square tubing and angle iron and a Ford Ranger steering box is part of the steering system. Reining in the truck’s forward velocity is a hydraulic brake system. The truck rolls on BKT tires that measure 24 x 12 inches, mounted on 12-inch Fusion wheels.

Inside, the truck features a racing seat provided by Monster Jam, a racing-style steering wheel, a battery kill switch, and a Schumacher Electric onboard battery maintainer. There’s also a Nilight rocker switch panel to control the Nilight front, rear, and underbody lights.

A first-look preview of the mini monster truck was held at Northern Tool + Equipment’s Buda, Texas, store.

First-Look Preview

The truck’s first-look preview took place at Northern Tool + Equipment’s Buda, Texas, store. This offered attendees the opportunity to get an up-close look at the mini build and compare it to a full-sized monster truck on site. Monster Jam’s El Toro Loco driver Armando Castro met with fans and customers and signed autographs, along with ThunderROARus driver Colt Stephens, who also helped mentor the students throughout the build. Northern Tool + Equipment’s co-owners Wade and Ryan Kotula were also on hand, as were students from Bryan High School’s CTE program who built the truck.

Prior to the unveiling, Wade Kotula, CEO of Northern Tool + Equipment, said, “This is an exciting opportunity for our Buda and Austin-area customers to meet two Monster Jam legends, get a deal on Father’s Day shopping, and see how our Tools for the Trades program is directly impacting their community. This is definitely something you won’t want to miss.”

The mini monster truck made it’s official reveal at a Monster Jam event in Austin, Texas, flanked by members of the truck’s build team from Bryan High School.

Official Reveal

The mini monster truck’s official reveal took place the following weekend during the Monster Jam event at the Moody Center in Austin.

Colt Stephens was excited for the students prior to the official reveal. He said, “I remember the first time I entered the Monster Jam track—I felt like a gladiator. I can’t wait for the students who have worked so hard this whole year to have their own moment stepping out on the track to the sound of thousands of people cheering for them.”

There’s Video Of The Build!

The Tools for the Trades program is a great opportunity to promote vocational and skilled trades careers. With this build, the CTE students honed their skills and learned new ones while building something cool.

The build is documented on video and it can be found on Northern Tool’s YouTube channel. A link to one of the segments is below. The video series is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at how the truck came together and how the build team solved challenges along the way.

Photos: Northern Tool + Equipment