What Is a Squatted Truck

Across the country, nestled up to the Pacific Ocean, lies the Golden State—California. It’s here that the styles of CenCal (central California), Cali Lean, and Baja-Stance began, all of which feature an iconic reverse rake. While not nearly as dramatic as Carolina Squat, these California styles are thought to have pioneered the stylistic choice. However, it’s crucial to understand the differences between these styles. 

Firstly, Cali Lean, Cencal, and Baja-Stance trucks all pull inspiration from local Southern California races—the Baja 500 and Baja 1000. The pickups that participate in these races, often referred to as prerunners, feature soft multi-link or leaf-sprung rear suspension setups to absorb high-speed bumps and “whoops” in the dirt. As a result, the trucks often sit nose-high. By comparison, Carolina Squat trucks sit nose-high for the sake of “style.”

Secondly, most Cali lean, Cencal, and Baja-stance trucks sit marginally lower in the rear—two to three inches—compared to Carolina Squat trucks, which often sit up to ten inches taller in the front due to sizable front lifts and rear lowering kits. 

Thirdly, there’s a significant variation in styling outside of the reverse rake. Carolina Squat pickups often feature large-diameter wheels and low-profile tires, compared to Cencal trucks, which typically have small-diameter wheels and small tires, and Baja-Stance, which often features small wheels and large tires for an off-road-inspired appearance. 

Additionally, Carolina Squat trucks often include accessories like roof racks, straight-piped exhaust systems, and CB radios with massive whip antennas mounted to the bed.  

Lastly, we’ll touch on the preferred chassis. Most Carolina Squat trucks are early to mid-2000s Chevrolet Silverados and GMC Sierra half-tons. By comparison, most Cencal pickups are diesel ¾-ton and 1-ton models, and standard Baja-Stance trucks include Ford Rangers, F-150s, and even Broncos. 

Why Are Squatted Trucks Dangerous? 

Squatted trucks pose numerous dangers. For starters, let’s discuss visibility. With such a massive height disparity, visibility over the hood is practically non-existent. Before the legislation was enacted to ban squatted trucks, several accidents occurred in which a squatted truck owner rear-ended another vehicle or even struck a pedestrian due to poor visibility. 

Squatted trucks are also hazardous to the visibility of other drivers due to the altered trajectory of their headlights. With such a sizable reverse rake, there isn’t enough adjustability at the headlights to compensate and aim at the road.  

Additionally, such drastic suspension modifications and improper alignments are the perfect recipe for drivability issues, making squatted trucks outlandishly dangerous to drive on the road, especially at highway speeds.  

Lastly, can someone say, “oil starvation?” Squatting your truck is terrible for the engine, causing all the oil to flow to the rear of the oil pan, typically not where the pickup tube is located. As a result, the oil pump can’t draw enough oil into the engine, leading to excessive wear and tear on the crankshaft bearings, timing components, cams, and cylinder walls. 

Are Squatted Trucks Illegal? 

Depending on the area, yes, squatted trucks can be illegal. Several states have drafted and passed legislation that targets exclusively the drivers of squatted vehicles, aiming to remove dangerous and impractical vehicles from the streets. The legislation cites the primary reason for the ban as safety after a Virginia man was killed in an accident involving a squatted truck. 

The first states to officially ban squatted trucks were North Carolina (since Dec 1, 2021) and Virginia (since March 2022). However, several additional states have followed suit since these initial legal actions were taken. South Carolina saw a similar ban on July 1, 2023, as did Tennessee (effective July 2024) and Louisiana (enforcement began in August 2023). 

These laws define the style differently, though the consensus is that any vehicle with a front ride height that’s considerably higher than the rear (approximately four inches) is “squatted” and, therefore, illegal. Refer to the table below for specific rulings. 

The new rulings led to a massive influx of drivers pouring into automotive shops to correct the now-illegal modifications. 

Will Most Squatted Trucks Be Illegal In the Future? 

Will more states adopt similar legislation? As of 2025, Mississippi is also considering enacting squatted truck legislation, which would limit front-rear fender difference to four inches for pickups. Violations would carry fines ranging from 100 to 300 dollars, plus license suspension.

While several squatted truck owners fear that these laws pave the way for future bans, we’re not convinced. If any other modifications are banned, there’ll likely be a good reason, including potential danger to yourself and other drivers on the road. In either case, we’ll update this section as future laws roll out. 

As always, for all your favorite truck modifications, such as complete lift kits or lowering kits, contact the experts.