2000 Ford Ranger Truck shakes

I was accelerating from a stop sign and my truck started violently shaking. It has never done this before. It shook every time I easily tried to accelerate. When I gunned it, the truck didnt shake. I was wondering if it could have been the timing or maybe a loose sparkplug wire or something. There is also a problem that happens every so often, the truck struggles and bucks when going uphill sometimes. Are these two things related.