The truck category in rally raid occupies a distinct place in desert racing. Trucks — purpose-built machines weighing several tonnes — compete on the same routes as cars and motorcycles but require different skills to manage: braking distances are greater, terrain reading must happen further in advance, and the mechanical loads on driver and co-driver are substantially higher. Russia's Kamaz Master team is historically the dominant force in the category, having won the Dakar truck class more times than any other team. Shibalov's development within that structure gave him access to the factory's machinery, engineering expertise, and accumulated race knowledge.
Shibalov made his Dakar Rally debut at the 2014 edition, finishing fifth in the general classification in the truck category. For a first Dakar attempt in a physically and navigationally demanding event run across the South American continent, fifth place was a creditable result and confirmed his potential within the Kamaz team structure.
His best Dakar result came in the 2020 edition, when he finished second overall in the truck category — behind his Kamaz teammate Andrey Karginov. The podium position at the world's most famous rally raid event, competing at the highest level against the full Kamaz factory effort, marked the peak of his Dakar career to date.
A notable episode occurred during the 2018 Dakar Rally: on Stage 11, Shibalov was disqualified after his truck caught fire and he omitted control points during the incident. The disqualification reflected the strict checkpoint rules that govern Dakar navigation even in emergency circumstances.
Away from the Dakar Rally, Shibalov has amassed a strong record in international rally raid events. He won the Africa Eco Race three times, claiming the truck category in the 2013, 2015, and 2016 editions. The Africa Eco Race follows a route broadly inspired by the original Paris-Dakar course across North Africa, making it one of the most historically resonant rally raid events on the calendar.
In the Silk Way Rally — a multi-day cross-country event run across Russia and Central Asia — Shibalov finished third in 2017, second in 2018, and then won the event outright in 2019. His progression through the Silk Way standings over those three years reflected both improving form and deepening experience in the navigation and terrain management demands of Central Asian desert competition.
He also won the Great Steppe rally raid in both 2014 and 2015, adding further regional titles to his record.
Shibalov's career represents consistent high-level performance across the elite tier of international truck rally raid competition. His Dakar second place in 2020, combined with three Africa Eco Race victories, two Great Steppe wins, and a Silk Way title, makes him one of the more decorated truck rally raid competitors of the 2010s. As a member of the Kamaz Master factory team — the most successful organisation in the history of Dakar truck racing — his career is embedded within one of motorsport's great institutional success stories.