What is the raddest truck toy you could give to a four year old?

Something that moves. My favorite truck as a kid had this compartment in the back that you could put stuff in (commonly marbles and sand).
But for the sake of the parents nothing that beeps!

@sliceswiththings Good point. When you go shopping, make sure that, if something is pushed over and over again, it won’t drive anybody nuts. Also, see if (if possible) it could turn on in the middle of the night or something if it gets bumped. You don’t want to be putting something in the kid’s room and have the toy start blaring the ABC’s at you.

Remote-controlled would be a great idea.

Well, IMO, something you made yourself, or could build together.
I know not everyone has the means, but the point is to get him something unique to him, that will connect the gift to you.
Don’t worry about the ‘flashing lights’ and all. At this age, they hardly care. It’s about something that will let him use his imagination, and cannot be ‘one-upped’ because it is 100% unique (‘the only one in the whole world’).

At that age, my son was given a pedal-powered, ride-on John Deere tractor with a detachable trailer for hauling things. Perhaps something similar could be found for your nephew. Maybe, something like this? Or this?

Another item we gave our son at about that age was several Tonka Trucks, Cranes, and Front-Loaders, and we also built a gravel pit for him to dig in.

Something like this tow truck and broken down vehicle toy might be very well received, too.

Unless unusually dexterous, he is a bit young for the typical remote control vehicle.

I don’t have any ideas on the truck thing, but you get lurve from me for using the word ‘rad’ in your question.

Rokenbok sets are incredible.

Tonka Mighty-Mo Dumptruck. You pull it’s wheels across the floor a few times and it will go on it’s own for a bit, no remote control needed.

I just took a census of our showroom and several also named the Mighty-Mo

For a 4 year old, a truck that lifts and moves things is great. It doesn’t have to be too complex to be cool. What about this log loader or these flatbeds. Something with a crane would be pretty cool. I remember having a firetruck that my dad got at a gas station when I was about 5. It had lights, and a siren, and an extension ladder. The neighborhood boys thought I was pretty cool when I had that truck.

toooonkaaa

Another vote for Tonka, but that’s just nostalgia speaking. They’ve been around for a while, haven’t they!

Here’s a site with all kinds of truck DVDs and videos for kids

@andrew – Tonka isn’t as nice as it used to be. The trucks now tend to be all plastic and often look “cute” instead of real.

Yes, since 1947. Tonka started as Mound Metalcraft Incorporated, located near beautiful Lake Minnetonka in Mound, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. Now it belongs to Hasbro and the metal is disappearing.

Buddy L is even older, starting to make metal truck toys in 1921. Moline Pressed Steel began in 1910 as a manufacturer of parts for cars and tractors, and started making toys named for his son Buddy “L” when everybody loved the unique trucks he had made for him.

Vintage Tonka? Oh ya… New plastic China Tonka…eh

Buddy L yessir, but you might want to think twice before sending junior out to the sandbox with a 1500–3000 collector’s item

@SeventhSense – No matter how much they’ll pay for it, I won’t sell my grandpa’s Buddy L.

Well, I’m just a toy pimp. If I can’t sell it I don’t buy it.

And I’m a book pimp. But I do read many of them first. :-)