You’ve heard her engine roar and seen that unmistakable old‑school build. Bright green, red headlights, mirrors sticking up like antennae—Mud Cricket looks exactly like her name sounds.
I caught up with Rob Knowles and Mud Cricket at the 2026 Muddy Valentine’s event hosted by Trucks Gone Wild at Plant Bamboo in Florida.
After talking with him—and reviewing the video—I can say, in my opinion, Rob Knowles is one of the drivers who represents everything I see in the mud community: rooted in community, kids, culture, friends, and of course… sending it.
The first thing I asked Rob was how Mud Cricket got her name, and it’s not what you think. It didn’t come from the crickets chirping in the pit next to the nearest speaker at midnight.
The real story? When Rob first picked her up—strapped down and ready for her new home—she hopped off the trailer like a mud cricket and ended up being dragged for half a mile. Not what you expected, huh? Don’t worry if you laughed. We did too. None of us saw that coming.
After the laughter died, I asked Rob about the artwork on the side of his truck (check out the video). That brought up Ryder May—and if you don’t know who she is, you should, especially if you ride in Michigan. Ryder is well known for supporting the local community up there and even coming down to Florida to keep the friendly rivalry between our FL and MI boggers alive. Her page is linked in the picture below, but don't get lost and forget to come back!
When I asked about his trip down to Plant Bamboo in October, I learned Mud Cricket is a leaf‑spring truck that does not love jumps. She broke, split in half, got left behind… and still came right back for February.
Naturally, that led to talking about what Mud Cricket is actually made of.
She’s a 1950 Chevy with a big block built by one of Rob’s good friends. Believe it or not, this truck used to be black. With a Chevy big block pushing 625 horsepower, she’ll tear through soupy, thick mud and throw arcs that’ll make you scatter for cover.
Mud Cricket isn’t just rolling on big tires. She’s rocking full-on tractor rubber, built to dig in and keep moving when the mud gets nasty. That’s why she towers over you in person. Stand next to her and you’ll see—she’s made to clear ruts that would swallow most trucks whole. Those tires and that lift are what let her claw through the deep stuff and ride high while everyone else is sinking.
“She has always been a good bogger—straight up bogger, nothing special.” —Rob Knowles
I personally disagree with the “nothing special” part. There’s plenty special about this truck and her driver, including where he gets his biggest inspiration.
When Mud Cricket first got her big block, she served the kids. Rob and his friend handed out rides just to make them smile—and there were plenty of smiles to go around. “It’s pretty loud in the cab, so they just hang on and it’s full of smiles. It’s great.” —Rob Knowles
His biggest inspiration, though, is his five‑year‑old daughter, River, who loves hopping in for laps so she can wave. How do you not smile at that?
To wrap things up, we talked a little about the Michigan–Florida mud rivalry and his friendships with some of our Florida drivers, like Dirt Boss, and how he showed them how to conquer No Man’s Land. The rivalry was fun and alive all weekend—but not in the way people assume. These men will put their trucks against each other all day and then bullshit together when the sun goes down.
We asked Rob to leave us with one last thing: any up‑and‑coming drivers to watch. His immediate answer was Carson Southwell and Daddy’s Money. So we’ll be keeping an eye out—and this page will be ready for future features. Click on the photo below to check out his Facebook
P.S. If You are a Michigan Bogger - the calendar is massive!
