Crawl, Walk, Zoom

Holy cow - it's already Friday and my good intentions have disappeared like exhaust from pre-emission regulation stacks. We're being inundated with the latest information. EGR vs SCR. New trucks and refurbished ones. HOS regulations. Ergonomics and aerodynamics. MATS is a veritable smorgasbord.

2009 is being benchmarked as the bottom of the pit, and cautious optimism about 2010 and beyond is on everyone's lips. It's a lot like the weather. Yesterday it rained and was gloomy. Today is sunny, and hope sparkles like the freshly shined aluminum, chrome and paint on show trucks in the lot.

I've walked, strolled, zoomed, dashed and maneuvered my way from the farthest-most points of the show to the extreme opposite end. My thinking is linear, my path not so much. The fun is in the journey. I'm traveling on the 10-foot rule. Walk 10 feet and hug an old friend. It used to be the 20-foot rule, and by the time the show ends on Saturday, it may be down to 5 feet. Drivers and exhibitors; equipment manufacturers and engineers; service providers and other writers and editors.

Somewhere in the country people are playing basketball and checking their brackets. Here, we're playing with trucks and checking our wallets.