Val and Earl use the truck 1965 Jeep Gladiator J200 while working as handy men in and around Perfection. The side of the truck reads 'V. E. Odd Jobs'. And they used this truck when they first tried to leave the valley. When forced to turn around due to a rock slide, presumably made by Graboids, a Graboid grabs the rear axle with its tongue. They didn't realize this at the time and thought they were simply hung up. The finally broke free and when they got back to town discovered the tongue, thought at first to be the entire creature.