Pakistan's truckers have been known to spend more money on tricking out their rides than on building their homes, but the gaudy vehicles, which are now an icon of the country's highways, have at least one basis in business logic.
Pakistan's Dazzling 'Jingle Trucks'
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Elaborately decorated trucks rumble over even the most isolated roads of Pakistan. This "jingle truck" is headed down the Karakoram highway.
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Master truck painter Hussain Noor (right) and other workers busy with a truck in Noor's workshop in Rawalpindi
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A worker takes the term "hand-painted" to a new level in Noor's workshop. Dangling chains like this are the origin of the nickname "jingle truck" for highly decorated freight vehicles.
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Premade decorations for sale in Rawalpindi, where truck decoration is big business.
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A truck painter buffs the bodywork of a truck in Noor's workshop. According to The New York Times, the price of fully decorating a truck can easily reach $25,000.
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The finishing touches being daubed onto a jingle truck in Rawalpindi. Finely detailed trucks like this can take weeks to complete.
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The voltage gauge of a truck in Faisalabad
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A metal worker hammers texture into a horse decoration destined for a truck in Rawalpindi.
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Peacocks and flowers, as well as religious and sporting heroes, are popular subjects for the truck panels. In early 2017, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was reportedly given the ultimate accolade after he was painted onto a jingle truck.
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A driver in Faisalabad shows off the luridly decorated cab of his truck. As well as being a means to show off a driver's "personality," truck decorations have one basis in business logic.
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According to a recent article on jingle trucks, "a well-decorated truck gives the customers the impression that it is well taken care of and will, therefore, be a dependable way to transport goods."
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Aerodynamics take a backseat to aesthetics on Pakistan's highways.
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A welder in Rawalpindi works next to a completed decoration that will be mounted on the panel of a jingle truck.
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A truck painter adds the finishing touches to the bodywork of a truck in Rawalpindi. The trucks of Pakistan may be known for color, but they remain hard-working vehicles.
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No matter how pretty the vehicle, Pakistan's jingle trucks are regularly pushed to their limits...
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... and beyond.