Independent Truck Company

Independent Truck Company, often more commonly referred as Independent Trucks, or simply Indy, is an American skateboard truck manufacturer based in Santa Cruz, California. Established in 1978, the brand is currently owned by NHS, Inc. and has an extended list of sponsored team riders.

Independent Truck Company

Logo used from 1979 until 2022
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Retail
Founded	May 23, 1978; 47 years ago (1978-05-23) in Newark, California, U.S.
Founders	Richard Novak Jay Shiurman Fausto Vitello Eric Swenson
Headquarters	Santa Cruz, California , U.S.
Products	Apparel Sports equipment
Number of employees	14
Parent	NHS, Inc.
Website	www.independenttrucks.com

Origin

Independent was created by Fausto Vitello and Eric Swenson, along with the help of Richard Novak and Jay Shuirman, in 1978 in Newark, California.^[1][2] Rick Blackhart and Kevin Thatcher were involved in the early stages of production with the company.^[3] Blackhart stated that, "one broke, and one didn't turn" in regards to Bennett and Tucker trucks, the largest company producing trucks at the time.^[4] The company has become one of the most well-known brands in skateboarding.^[5]

Logo

The original logo was designed by Jim Phillips in 1978. Phillips's original vision was based off the "surfer's cross",^[6] a variant of the German Iron Cross, due to the connection between surfing and skateboarding. It was initially rejected by others within the company due to the Iron Cross's connection with Nazi Germany. The company eventually did accept the design following Phillips's insistence, as he notably pointed to the regalia of Pope John Paul II.^[7] The company later distanced themselves from any association with an Iron Cross,^[8] and in 2022, changed their logo.^[9]