Santa Truck

Please come back again in November for more information regarding Santa's schedules for Christmas 2025.

The Turlock Santa Truck Program

The Turlock Santa truck program was started in the early to mid-1980’s when former fire chief Mark Langley started the program modeled from a similar program in the Sacramento area. The Turlock firefighter’s union L2434 and the Turlock Fire Incorporated own and operate the Santa Truck. The first Turlock Santa Truck was a 1964 Hi Ranger Snorkel Van Pelt that was decorated with Christmas lights. Santa would sit in the bucket at the back. The Snorkel was used for years but was ultimately replaced due to safety of Santa in the bucket and the access issues into neighborhoods. In the late 1980’s a retrofitted 1970 Van Pelt pumper was used as the Santa truck for a few years until the City of Turlock of Turlock donated the 1955 American La France pumper to the Turlock Fire Incorporated. This would become our modern-day Santa truck. Firefighters spent countless hours designing, making and decorating the sleigh and signs that are on the Santa truck. The 1955 American La France pumper has served as the Santa Truck since the early 1990’s.

The Santa Truck program operates the whole month of December leading up until Christmas, driving every neighborhood in Turlock spreading Christmas cheer. The 1955 American LaFrance pumper (Santa Truck) has been retrofitted with lights, music, and even a sleigh. Santa and his elves drive slow through neighborhoods playing Christmas music and handing out candy canes. The Santa Truck program has become wildly popular over the years, so much so that families set up outside in the cold waiting for the Santa Truck to drive by on their night. The Santa Truck has the honor of being the Turlock Christmas parades grand finale and main attraction as an estimated 30,000 parade goers wait to see Santa. Many in the community have said that the Christmas parade is not complete without the Santa truck as the finale. In 2008, budget and funding of the parade became a major issue with a down turn in the economy. The Turlock firefighters made a large donation to keep the parade going so that the Santa truck program could continue to spread cheer throughout the community. The Turlock Firefighters L2434 have continued to be a major sponsor of the parade every year since then. The Santa truck program is operated by the off-duty firefighters with assistance from family and friends.