Real Answers Q&A: Union Carpenter Mike Wallace

In this edition of Real Answers on RealSource™, editor-in-chief Frank Bisciotti chats with union carpenter Mike Wallace to discuss the intersection of professional craftsmanship and vehicle utility. Mike shares insights into his daily life on the job site, the role his Toyota Tacoma plays in his career, and how the addition of the  A.R.E CX Evolve truck cap is transforming both his workday efficiency and his weekend adventures.

Frank Bisciotti: My name is Frank Bisciotti. I'm the editor-in-chief of RealSource on RealTruck.com. Today we are at Auto and Truck Outfitters in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, where Mike Wallace just had his A.R.E. CX Evolve truck cap installed on his new Tacoma, and we're going to ask him some questions. So, Mike, thank you for joining me.

Mike Wallace: Absolutely, Frank. Thanks for having me.

Frank Bisciotti: Yeah. And you just had your truck upfitted with a new truck cap. Tell me a little bit about yourself and what you do.

Mike Wallace: I'm a union carpenter. So I work in Philadelphia, a little bit in New Jersey and the surrounding counties. We do everything from commercial work, big jobs, and hospitals to smaller residential work.

Frank Bisciotti: Very cool. And tell me about your truck.

Mike Wallace: I got the 2022 Toyota Tacoma, got the double cab with the 5-foot bed. It's 4x4 with the V6 and everything I need.

Frank Bisciotti: Very cool. And how do you use your Tacoma for work?

Mike Wallace: For work, it is great to have a 4x4 when it comes to getting on and off of muddy job sites, especially when wintertime hits and you got snow melting. Any terrain, this thing gets me through. And I got the bed, so for moving material around and my tools, it does the job.

Frank Bisciotti: Very cool. And what about your leisure life in the Tacoma? How does the Tacoma make your leisure life fun?

Mike Wallace: So outside of work, I like to take this thing camping or be tailgating down at the Eagles stadium.

Frank Bisciotti: Go Birds.

Mike Wallace: Yep. And you know, road tripping. So, come Friday, I got my tools nice and organized in the back. I just pop them out and then go into weekend mode and can throw a tent in there. I got a little portable grill I like to roll around with. So, yeah, it definitely is a good time on the weekends.

Frank Bisciotti: Very cool. Tacoma does it all. Swiss Army knife.

Mike Wallace: Yeah, man.

Frank Bisciotti: And in terms of the A.R.E. CX Evolve, how does that help your lifestyle and work life?

Mike Wallace: Yeah, so this cap has been a huge upgrade for me. It's made work just way easier. I used to have a toolbox back there, but there was not nearly enough room for my tools, and then with the open cab [bed], everything's exposed back there. I'd have to worry about things getting stolen. Now everything's locked up securely. The hardware on that thing's awesome; it's super smooth and keeps it locked up. I have the full five-foot bed to work with now, whereas the toolbox is going to limit that space. And yeah, it's really nice.

Frank Bisciotti: Very cool. And one more question: what's your favorite feature on the A.R.E. CX Evolve?

Mike Wallace: Favorite feature? I mean, man, the thing in general is just super smooth and sleek looking. The paint’s a perfect match, it seamlessly goes with the truck. It looks really nice. It's got the sliding windows, so when I'm getting dusty or my tools are getting dirty, I open up the windows and let everything dust out, air out. The keyless entry is awesome. You can just control everything with the key fob with the unlock button, so I don't have to actually manually do anything; it works really well with the truck. We got the ladder rack, so if I'm hauling ladders around or longer material, I can strap it to the top of that. And the LED light strips are awesome as well because at nighttime, I just pop them on and I can see everything super well. So, just overall, the thing's a beast.

Frank Bisciotti: So all the features are your favorite features?

Mike Wallace: Pretty much. It's kind of hard to choose one, to be honest with you.

Frank Bisciotti: I get it. I get it. Well, this concludes Real Answers on RealSource. Mike, thank you for joining me.

Mike Wallace: Absolutely, Frank. Thanks for having me.

Frank Bisciotti: And we’ll see you on the next one. Thanks guys.