Can You Pull An Armored Truck 75 Ft? Plainfield PD To Host Event

PLAINFIELD, IL — The Plainfield Police Department is hosting a challenge Aug. 3 that's going to require some muscle. Five-person teams will hustle their muscles, competing in the third annual Armored Truck Challenge to see who can pull an armored truck 75 feet the fastest.

Weighing about 38,000 pounds, the empty armored truck is undoubtedly a challenge to pull, but teams have completed the distance in a minute or two in prior competitions.

One year, employees from a jewelry store gathered to try their hand at the challenge, and they won.

"It's not impossible to pull if you're not a big, strong weight person," said AnnaMarie Flood, the operations support specialist at the department, adding that teams usually clock in a few seconds apart.

An armored truck from Plainfield's own fleet is used for the event. Each team takes turns pulling the truck the 75 feet and their time is recorded. The truck is then pulled back to the starting line until all teams participate and a winner is declared.

The challenge costs $150 for each team competing, and Flood said organizers usually cap it to around 20 teams. The money raised benefits Special Olympics Illinois, and in 2019, the police department raised $3,689, which was their highest-grossing event so far, according to Flood.

This year's event, taking place at 7 p.m. at Plainfield Village Hall, 24401 W. Lockport St., is the department's third annual challenge. It was canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19 but returns this summer on the same night as both National Night Out and Cruise Nights.

National Night Out is a family-friendly event that takes place at police departments nationwide. The free event — where hot dogs and ice cream are offered, as well as swag from local businesses to promote their work — is meant "to build awareness in the community of the police," Flood said.

Those interested in the Armored Truck Challenge can sign up by contacting AnnaMarie Flood at aflood@plainfieldpd.com by July 27. Registration on the night of the event will begin at 6 p.m.