The vividly painted trucks of Pakistan and Afghanistan continue a tradition that has its roots in the decorative arts of carts and other vehicles and the draft animals that pull them such as ox, bullocks, and camels. Over the past fifty years there has been a dramatic increase in decorative styles, with distinctive motifs and decorations for trucks from each region of Pakistan. Each truck is decorated according to the wishes of the owner, and truckers often compete with each other to have the most elaborate and flashy vehicle. The designs include scenery and important monuments as well as pithy sayings or poems. All trucks are protected from the "evil eye" with black scarves, large painted eyes, or an old shoe hanging from the bumper. The cabin interiors are decorated with mirrors, beads, and fancy cushions, and provided with a sound system for blasting music while driving.

At the port city of Karachi, trucks arrive from all over Pakistan to pick up goods. Faced with this diversity of customers, Karachi truck makers, repairmen, and painters have become skilled in all of the regional decorative styles. This truck was commissioned by the Smithsonian Folklife Festival for the 2002 Silk Road Festival program to include elements of all the regional styles. The body was built by Jamil Uddin and the paintings were done by Haider Ali, both from Karachi. Carved wooden doors are common in the northern areas of Swat and Peshawar, while camel bone and white plastic inlay are typical of Sindh in the south. Stainless steel designs are common in all regions and peacocks are common images on Punjabi and Sindhi trucks. The paintings include scenes from throughout Pakistan as well as the Silk Road Festival.