The "short story" behind the build of Optimus

Assembled and then heavily customized in 2016, this REPLICA project was led by an ordinary dad who simply wanted to inspire his son that the most impossible dreams can come true with hard work and determination. For starters, we encourage you to watch this fantastic documentary that was done on us in 2018 for some insight into the build.

Approximately 25 very talented individuals from all different walks of life were involved in replicating this truck. The entire build was done using photos and videos of the screen-used trucks that the owner located on the internet. No detailed specs were provided by Hasbro or by the original OP builders. In fact the owner never saw the original truck in person until AFTER this build was completed.

Based in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, this replica from Age of Extinction is currently believed to be 1 of only 3 Optimus Prime AOE trucks in existence. The other two are the ones used for filming, both of which are rarely seen anymore.

This replica is a very high-quality vehicle that is almost a spot-on match to those movie trucks. One that has also evolved quite a bit as the years progressed. It is the ONLY Optimus Prime truck that regularly tours the USA and Canada, offering a “personal touch” and interactive experience for fans of all ages while supporting communities large and small ... AND promoting a message of anti-bullying.

Keep scrolling down to learn more about this build ... spoken from the owner himself - Joe Fiduccia.

Answer: Optimus was an impossible dream for me. It was a project that was so far fetched and out of reach, it took everything in me to give it a try. I was unhappy with the proverbial wall I had hit in life, and kept letting the fear of failure hold me back.

Finally, I just decided it was time for a change. "You only live once" sort of scenario. And ultimately, with the help and faithful support of my family, my goal in doing this was to inspire our young son that ALL dreams are possible, That he should never let bullies stop him from rising up in his own way, and to never be fearful of doing something in his own life that he truly has a passion for. 

Answer: For one, I was not a truck driver prior to this. In fact I had never set foot inside a truck in my life. In order to even consider this, I had to study for and obtain my Commercial Driver License. Additionally, we had no build specs or blueprints of the original truck. All we had were a limited supply of photos and videos that were posted online of the original truck.

Financials were another impossible scenario. I do not come from a wealthy background, I did not have corporate backing, sponsorship, or an inheritance of any kind, nor do I have a large enough income to justify the expense. This project took everything we had.

We lost a life savings, obtained a second mortgage, and entered into a plethora of debt because of it. To this day, we struggle to keep it on the road while attempting to restore everything we lost along the way. In fact I we rely heavily on donations from fans to keep us rolling.

But if my son pursues his own dreams one day using the inspiration he gained from watching me, then I feel like I've succeeded in my mission as a father. So I don't mind the debt. I'll pay it off eventually, but sooner rather than later would be nice.

Answer : Because replicas of the old Peterbuilt and even the original 80's cab-over have already been done. No other fan in the world (based on my research into this truck...which quite honestly was probably more extensive than anyone on the planet at the time) has managed to fully replicate the truck from Age of Extinction. Plus this style is my personal favorite from all of the various forms Optimus has held over the years.

Believe it or not, I get a lot of hate for driving this version. So many Transformers fans despise this particular design, and have no problem sharing those opinions in a 'not-so-nice' way. But for me personally, Optimus is an icon. His morals, his character, his strength, resilience, and everything about him represents the epitome of who I want to be as a person. So technically it doesn't really matter what form he portrays. He should be looked at as a true leader to ALL of us.

Answer: Everyone wants to know the dollar amount. I have strangers coming up to me all the time and the first question they ask is: "what did that cost?" Ultimately there are some things we keep to ourselves, and our personal financial investment into this replica one of them. Ultimately it boils down to a loss of almost everything financially along with a long road of debt and recovery still ahead. Not to mention significant changes in our family dynamic that we are still adapting to years later.

Answer: There are a lot of rumors floating around regarding this particular question, most of which are completely untrue. In short, approximately 25 very talented individuals (including me) were involved in replicating this truck. Fabricators, painters, CNC specialists, chrome experts, and more from New Jersey and Pennsylvania all had a hand.

I choose not to mention someone of them by name for personal reasons. And quite frankly it's no one's business. But, I will say that everyone here was an extremely talented expert in their respective field.  All of them were strangers to me at the time, who agreed to take on a seemingly impossible challenge. Some of them I remain close friends with, some I've worked with many times after, and others I haven't spoken to since 2016.

But regardless of whether our paths remained united after the build or split apart after, I have ALWAYS respected the time and energy they invested into it. And I will continue to do just that.



Answer: To the trained eye, it is pretty easy to spot the differences between our replica and the original trucks. Especially now that we have added several personalized modifications to our replica that the original trucks don't have.  But generally speaking, when we first completed the base build, this truck was a spot on match in almost every way. Which in itself is quite the accomplishment since we had nothing by photos from Google to work with.

We invite you to watch this video on YouTube that outlines virtually every major difference between the two as of March 2020. Our replica has continued evolve in many ways since then.

Answer: Um, sort of. WATCH THIS VIDEO to see what I mean. :)

Answer: Though you may not be a fan of this version of Optimus Prime, this truck comes with an inspiring story of hope, perseverance, charity support, and anti-bullying. It is special to us...and to millions of families and children around the globe.

I acknowledge that plenty of people out there just don't like this "style" of Optimus, And I can respect anyone's option. That is why I simply cater to those who appreciate our replica for what it represents, and who he is on the inside. I intend to do my best to keep Optimus rolling for a very long time. Primarily as a means of bringing joy to a world that desperately needs it.