Monday, March 29, 2010
Mercy sakes alive, looks like we got us a (Louahvulle) convoy
That is until this year.
The Inagural Parade of Lights Convoy to benefit Special Olympics Kentucky was held following the close of the show Saturday, March 27. It not only was the perfect end to the 2010 edition of the Mid-America Trucking Show, it was also the perfect beginning for a new tradition.
Louisville's downtown was treated to an awe-inspiring convoy of 73 trucks that circled downtown. Horns blaring. Lights flashing. Smiles and waves from everyone -- participants and spectators alike.
It was an extra special event for me. I was asked by Cpl. Norm Schneiderhan and Cindy Stowe to be one of the two honorary Grand Marshals for the event. The other was Toby Young, president of Exhibit Management Associates and the man behind the Louisville truck show. Toby got hung up at the Expo Center with exhibitors making their mass exodus. But I know he rode along with us in spirit.
Norm auctioned off the lead truck and me as a passenger at the driver's meeting. I couldn't have been more happy to raise $250 for the Kentucky Special Olympics and to be so honored to ride in the lead truck with Vickie Youngs.
Vickie is a 23-year trucking veteran with 2 million safe miles behind her -- and it was just bonus that she is an OOIDA life member. Vickie and I swapped grins and stories all the way around the city.
It was a great time, made extra special by one of the neatest women I've met in a long time. Thanks for the ride Vickie.
Land Line's State Legislative Editor Keith Goble hitched a ride with OOIDA Life Member Lee Strebel and Managing Editor Sandi Soendker rode in a chase car taking videos and photos of the event. Check out this video of her in the back of the silver car. (The green sweater is easy to spot.)
After we returned, we announced that 73 trucks participated in the Convoy. Final numbers still hadn't been tallied because of all the extra donations and such, but I know they raised around $3,000 to benefit Special Olympics.
We finished off the night with good food, good friends and great music thanks to Leland Martin.
As we left the parking lot, I couldn't help but think to myself that there couldn't have been a better way to end a Mid-America Trucking Show.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
2010 MATS: it's a wrap ... well, almost
In the press room, it's a 15-minute warning to pack up gear, finish stories. Most journalists are gone now. Dorothy Cox of The Trucker just finished pounding out a story, and I think she's calling it a week. Two guys from France are packing cameras and saying "au revoir." One editor from India is checking his flight schedule. One from Sweden is headed for a mini-vacation in the Carolinas for a day or two before returning to Europe.
Our OOIDA staffers are getting ready to strike all of our booths. We'll load up everything in our truck -- the Spirit -- and for most of the gang, the Louisville skyline will be in the rear view mirror by sunset.
Out on the floor, as booths are tearing down -- the Sirius XM radio journalists are still on the job pumping out MATS news over the airwaves. Our Land Line Now radio crew -- Mark Reddig, Terry Scruton and Barry Spillman --will be rolling up the wires and sound equipment. At the Pana Pacific booth, Evan Lockridge is broadcasting the Lockridge Report. Our senior editor Jami Jones is a guest today.
Our LL writers and super bloggers Bill Hudgins (Nashville) and Suzanne Stempinski (Chicago area) are on the road home. Senior Technical Editor Paul Abelson tells me he is headed to Papa John's and will leave tomorrow.
Papa John's is where Jami and I will be going later this afternoon, along with our State Legislative Editor Keith Goble. Jami will be a Grand Marshal in a Parade of Lights tonight, along with Toby Young, president of Exhibit Management Associates (producers of MATS). A number of bobtails are convoying through downtown Louisville to benefit Special Olympics. This will be the last story we'll cover for 2010 MATS and that's why Jami, Keith and I aren't going home just quite yet.
For most, 2010 MATS is a wrap -- but HEY! This party ain't over yet. Papa John's parking lot is still rockin' and the smell of hot dogs on the grill is calling to us ...
Ferro to Women in Trucking: You go girls!
Ice road truckers George and Alex are a hit
That was the kind of frank fact and humor that truckers and others were treated to Saturday morning at the Paul K. Young Memorial truck beauty contest at MATS in Louisville. George Spears and Alex Debogorski of Ice Road Truckers fame were special guests at the trophy ceremony, compliments of Firestone. By the way, Alex is an OOIDA member.
In the first hour of the awards event, a ceremony that awards the winners of the PKY, competitors were thoroughly entertained by a superbly personalized slide show from George and Alex. The two spoofed, narrated, spoofed, chuckled and confessed (in some cases) their way through a collection of spectacular scenes of ice road trucking. Afterward, questions from the crowd ranged from maintenance queries to questions about the film crew.
Following George and Alex was hard, but the trophy presentations did not disappoint. Especially the rockin' fabulous trophies made by Carl Carstens and Rockwood. Watch this blog for details on the PKY winners -- happening soon.
OOIDA media takes top honors in TWNA awards
The competition recognizes excellence in trucking industry journalism in both the trade and the mainstream press, as well as excellence in communication with the industry by public relations professionals. These included TWNA members and non-members.
Land Line Magazine and Land Line Now received a combined 20 awards, including the Best of 2009 award presented to Land Line Magazine State Legislative Editor Keith Goble.
Best of 2009 award:
• Magazine Writing - The Power of One - Land Line Magazine - Best of 2009 to Keith Goble
Best of Division awards:
• Magazine Writing - The Power of One - Land Line Magazine - Best of Magazine Writing to Keith Goble
• Radio - Technology Helps Recover Stolen Truck - Land Line Now - Best of Radio to Reed Black - Barry Spillman
Gold awards:
• Magazine Writing - Column - Dashboard Confidential - Land Line Magazine - to David Sweetman
• Magazine Writing - Public Service - The Power of One - Land Line Magazine - to Keith Goble
• Magazine Writing - Feature - The Future Of Spec'ing - Land Line Magazine - to Paul Abelson
• Magazine Writing - Best Single Issue - May 2009 Issue - Land Line Magazine - to The Land Line Staff
• Radio - Technical: General - Technology Helps Recover Stolen Truck - Land Line Now - to Reed Black & Barry Spillman
• Radio - Public Service - The Truckers For Troops Telethon - Land Line Now - to Land Line Now’s Staff
Silver awards:
• Magazine Writing - Entertainment - Cracked Carols - Land Line Magazine - to Bill Hudgins
• Magazine Writing - Truck Show - A Class Act - Land Line Magazine - to Suzanne Stempinski
• Magazine Writing - Environmental - American Idle - Land Line Magazine - to Jami Jones & Land Line’s Staff
• Radio - Environmental - Going Green: A Concern Over Regulation In California – Land Line Now - to Mark Reddig & Barry Spillman
• Radio - Truck Show - The Sounds Of Mid-America - Land Line Now – to Reed Black & Barry Spillman
• Radio - Driver Lifestyle - Prom Dress Hero - Land Line Now - to Terry Scruton & Barry Spillman
Bronze awards:
• Magazine Writing - Investigative - Grand Theft Cargo - Land Line Magazine - to Charlie Morasch
• Magazine Writing - Feature - Deadly Consequences - Land Line Magazine - to Clarissa Kell-Holland
• Magazine Writing - Feature - Jump seat Journal - Land Line Magazine - to David Tanner
• Magazine Writing - Editorial - Ontario's Way - Land Line Magazine - to David Tanner
• Radio - Interview - Aaron Tippin & Arrow Back on the Road - Land Line Now - to Terry Scruton & Barry Spillman
Bright, shiny objects fascinate MATS goers
Blinded by the light
It's been a fun and informative ride so far, and it's not over yet. Late yesterday afternoon I tagged along with Jami Jones and Suzanne Stempinski to the lot where the show trucks are. That was an education unto itself. Those two, I think, knew just about everybody out there. I made the following statement to someone earlier this week and it still holds true: Between Jami, Suzanne and Sandi Soendker, if you can't find who you are looking for at this show, they probably don't exist.
Today, Leland Martin will join us at the Land Line Now booth for a few hours before heading out to the parking lot at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium to put on a show later tonight. Mark, Barry and I and some of the magazine crew will be headed out there. Should be a fun evening and a great way to cap off what has, for me anyway, been a great show.
In the meantime, I've still got a few more stories to chase down and possibly a few more I haven't even discovered yet. That's one of the great things about being a journalist at this show: There is never a shortage of stories just waiting to be told.
I have to go now. The beacon of the booth is beckoning me home.
Friday, March 26, 2010
The 2009 Goodyear Highway Hero is ...
Land Line Now Senior Correspondent Terry Scruton and I joined Junichi, his wife Sam, and the other three finalists as they relaxed today with kind of a MATS side trip. As one of the finalists -- Jesse Lee Seal of Alma, AR -- told us, it was the first "paid vacation" he'd had in a long time.
Jim Davis of Goodyear and Doug Siefkes of SiefkesPetit Communications co-hosted a fun trip to the Louisville Slugger factory and museum in downtown Louisville. We were invited to tag along.
We also met George Lantzy of Turtle Creek, PA, and Stephen Page, a Massachusetts trucker who coached us on how to pronounce Gloucester with just the right new England accent.
It was a fun tour for us, too, and a chance to get to know some extraordinary people.
Doing the Day Two Shuffle
You'll have to trust me, though, when I say my time away from the booth has been worth it. Sandi Soendker and I met up with the Goodyear Highway Hero nominees (and the winner) this morning at the Louisville Slugger museum and factory. It's a neat place to see if you get the time to check it out while you're in town.
But we weren't there to learn about bats; we were there to learn about the Goodyear Highway Heroes and what kind of a person you have to be to run into the fire (in some cases literally) while others are running away. The answer is surprisingly ordinary. These guys are just ordinary truck drivers who saw folks in need of help and jumped in without giving it a second thought. To a man, each one of them said they did not hesitate in the slightest when they were presented with a life-threatening situation. And to a man, they each said they would do it again in a heartbeat.
Later on in the day, I stopped by the Trucker Buddy press conference to learn about a new program Trucker Buddy is kicking off to educate kids about what truckers do to stay green and help the environment.
I also heard some great stories from those who were named 2009 Trucker Buddies of the Month, including OOIDA member Candy Bass, who has a rather unique Trucker Buddy class. Candy has the honor of being the only trucker whose buddy class is made up of athletes from a Special Olympic swim team.
I'll be following up with Candy after the show to get the scoop on that story for Land Line Now. It should be a lot of fun to listen to.
Trucker Buddies and Highway Heroes are just a few of the wonderful people you meet at this show. And that's just on one single day that isn't even over yet.
I wonder what tomorrow will bring.
Crawl, Walk, Zoom
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.
Top press award goes to Land Line editor
For this powerful article, Keith was honored last night in Louisville by the Truck Writers of North America. "The Power of One" earned him a gold award in the Public Service category, the Best of Magazine Writing division and -- over all other entries in this year's contest -- Keith's article was deemed the "Best of the Best." It's TWNA's top award.
In February 2000, Keith joined the Land Line staff as "staff support," which meant he did everything. A Mizzou grad with an English major, in no time Keith was writing some stories. In November of that year, he was promoted to staff writer. It was clear from the git-go that two areas hit the hot button for Keith: sports and legislative news. We don't have a sports desk but legislative news? Oh yeah! At first we split up the legislative watch between three writers, but eventually it all fell to Keith. In February 2004, he took over the state legislative desk.
As state legislative editor, he plans and writes the State Legislative Watch in each issue of Land Line, along with his analysis of state trends. Each week, he does a radio version of his state watch with Land Line Now's Reed Black on Sirius XM. Every day without fail, you can find at least two state legislative reports on the daily news that's posted on landlinemag.com, landlinenow.com and ooida.com. The Association's main Web site, ooida.com, presents an excellent and always up-to-date state watch authored by Keith. He also works closely with OOIDA Executive VP Todd Spencer to monitor state legislative issues of utmost importance to truckers and to write and deliver Call to Action e-blasts to truckers in those states.
Keith's hefty workload is narrowly focused on the status of the state issues critical to professional truckers. His reports are not shocking, revealing or sexy. What we call "wow" reports rarely get assigned to Keith. But his steady stream of articles contain an underlying purpose that place them high on the must-read list. His impeccably researched information, his interviews with lawmakers, and his reliable interpretation of what these bills mean are enabling to our readers. They give truckers the knowledge needed to confidently contact lawmakers and to help shape the future of trucking.
Congratulations, Keith, on this prestigious achievement.
Back on the Road winner revealed
We're not quite to halftime of the 2010 Mid-America Trucking Show, but I think I may have seen the highlight for this year. It will be difficult to top Arrow Truck Sales' reveal of the 2010 Back on the Road winner.
Owner-operator Robert Snyder of Dunnellon, FL, was announced Friday morning as this year's recipient. Robert was joined by his wife and daughter, who nominated her dad for Back on the Road.
As you could imagine, it was an emotional moment for the family and many others gathered to watch. Robert's story is a familiar tale during these tough economic times. During the past couple of years he has struggled to continue driving his 14-year old truck, which has nearly 1.5 million miles, while keeping up the family home and paying bills on time.
After the announcement, with an eye-catching 2007 Volvo VNL 670 to their backs, the Snyders watched arm-in-arm a video of their story. The promise of better days ahead was present on their joyful faces. An opportunity to remove much of the stresses experienced during the past couple of years is now a reality.
I cannot think of a better moment at this year's show.
Darth Innovator
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Land Line Staff wins TWNA's 1st Extra Mile Award for helping Arrow Trucking drivers
But it turned out there were good spirits – and a whole lotta Whos – that came to the aid of those stunned and stranded drivers. It started in a little town off Interstate 70 called Grain Valley, Missouri, in the offices of OOIDA’s Land Line Magazine and Land Line Now Sirius-XM radio show. Within minutes after word arrived about Arrow’s collapse, the Land Line staff was spreading the word via Facebook, Twitter and e-mail. There was soon a Facebook page dedicated to helping the victims of this calamity.
As Land Line’s senior editor Jami Jones described it in her February column, “Sure, we launched it here from OOIDA and babied it through its infancy, but that’s just a minute piece of the miracle that unfolded. Volunteers first came by the hundreds. Overnight, more than 1,000 had signed on. Ten days later, more than 7,000 people were rooting for these Arrow drivers. A well-organized group of volunteers emerged – some former Arrow employees, truckers, affiliates to the industry, and simply Good Samaritans who had no direct connect to trucking – who labored over the calls for need and matched them with offers to help.
"The success stories of drivers making it home, the tearful messages of thanks made it worth the exhaustion and frustration that many felt in accomplishing what Arrow chose not to do – take care of the truckers. We knew the goodwill of the trucking industry would rise to the need and were not proven wrong. It makes us proud to work for the men and women of the highways.”
The Land Line staff didn’t just launch that page and go home to wrap presents. They stayed online, through Christmas and into the New Year, helping to coordinate efforts to get truckers home and, in at least one instance, to locate a driver who hadn’t checked in with his family.
To recognize this extraordinary effort, the Truck Writers of North America Board of Directors voted to create an “Extra Mile” award to honor Land Line’s commitment to looking after truckers and their families.
Confessions of a shwag junkie
It is easy to make fun of the little kids scrambling for the treasures. It's fun to watch them smile from ear to ear when they score a light-up bouncy ball.
But a grown woman? It really is almost embarrassing.
I hide it as best I can. I blame some of my finds on needing to bring home stuff for my kids, for my colleagues holding down the fort back at the office.
I even keep a box of the stuff hidden so I can empty my bag and it looks like I only have a thing or two.
So this year I decided to go cold turkey. Not gonna pick up a pen, a lanyard, a notebook, nothing. If I didn't bring it, I don't need it.
Now here it is, less than half a day into the official first day of the show.
How am I doing?
It was a rough morning and when they taunted me with the offer of a free travel mug full of steaming hot coffee, I leapt off the wagon.
Oh well, while I’m there, I saw some ink pens in the West Wing I have to have.
Now it feels like show time!
I just spent the last hour at the Land Line Now booth in the North Wing lobby, meeting and greeting all kinds of great people. For starters, I met Lee and Jazzy Jordan for the first time face to face. I had interviewed both of them over the phone, but had never met them in person until a short while ago.
Jazzy is adorable, with a sweet disposition and a thousand-watt smile. She's very soft-spoken, which is just the opposite of most of the folks who stopped by our booth - not to mention most of the folks working there. It's a nice counterbalance.
Speaking of folks stopping by the booth, I just met OOIDA member and longtime Land Line Now caller Floyd Miller. Floyd is instantly recognizable by his distinctive Arkansas drawl and deep voice. Once I saw the name on the badge and confirmed it, I knew Mark would want to meet him.
Mark was in the midst of doing a segment with Rod Nofziger, so when it was over I had Floyd turn his badge around so Mark couldn't see the name. I was wondering if Mark would recognize the voice right away. He knew it sounded familiar, but couldn't quite place it. When I told him who it was, Mark gave the man a big bear hug and the two were still chatting away when I left to come back to the press room.
This is what the show is all about. Now it truly does feel like show time.
ThermoKing Blowing Cold and Hot
Cost is $8,500 and weight with battery pack is more than 300 pounds; By cutting the cost of idling for creature comfort to virtually nothing, the system can pay for itself in a couple of years or less, according to the company.
Freightliner: Light at the end of tunnel
Renschler reported that Daimler came out of 2009 with its share of bumps and bruises and results reflected what happens when virtually "all markets collapse" worldwide, simultaneously. He sees market recovery "moderate" in the U.S., about 10 to 15 percent. He says it will be years before the truck markets have fully recovered, but there's light at the end of the tunnel.
Martin Daum, President and CEO of DTNA, is ten months into his new job at the helm of DTNA but he's been 23 years with the commercial vehicles. Daum says the industry won't see truck sales like those the industry experienced in 2005 and 2006 anytime in the foreseeable future. His tea leaves say truck sales will increase 13 percent over 2009 with an additional "year-over-year" increase of 33 percent in 2011.
Renschler was optimistic that DTNA's countermeasures would be effective. In fact, he announced that coming out of the worst economic crisis in post-war era, DTNA would be launching the biggest "product offense" in the company's history. New vehicles, new components are rolling out, including the new Coronado ST with EPA 10 compliant engine.
Senior Vice-President Sales and Marketing Mark Lampert asked the rhetorical question: where do our ideas come from? The answer, he said, lies in recognizing the truckers "who brought us to the dance" in the first place -- "a very important group of buyers in the North American trucking industry, the owner-operators."
Lampert said DNTA's commitment to "best in class" vehicles begins with the owner-operator. "We know their truck is often their home and their business." He said the new Coronado is custom-made for the owner-operator.
Lampert had some good news for Western Star lovers. Lampert announced that "while remaining true to its purpose-built roots," Western Star will be expanded. Plans call for the introduction of more fuel efficient models as well as interior enhancements that will all the Western Star to "seriously compete" in both over-the-road and severe duty segments. And Lampert said those plans led DNTA to the Freightliner Allison Optimized Western Star with DD16 engines and BlueTec emissions system.
Just smoke, no mirrors
The only group that might be a bit harder to impress than truckers is the trucking media. But, we have to give a nod to Kenworth for giving it a shot with its rollout of the T700.
Check out this video Keith Goble shot during the introduction.
Now while the smoke and fanfare was pretty neat, I have to tell you once the smoke cleared and the curtain was out of the way, that's when it was easy to be impressed.
As cool as it was on the show floor, I can guarantee that the slick-looking aerodynamic T700 will certainly turn heads going down the road.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Rise and shine
When I made it down to the lobby for the head count, I soon came across truck driver and OOIDA Life Member Bill Rode. I was recounting the trials of the night. There was the occasional airplane heard flying nearby, as well as a repetitive sound outside that I can only liken to someone dropping the lid on a large trash bin. Land Line Now's Barry Spillman says it's a monster. Nobody is certain what it is, but Barry is convincing.
I commented to Bill that he likely had some very interesting stories about staying in hotels/motels through the years. He recounted one temporary stay in a room with a collection of yellowjackets stationed under the sink. Another stop had him rooming with a scorpion. He let me know he was certain I got much more sleep overnight than he did on that occasion.
Ya gotta love it. The tales of the road that folks like me don’t get to hear very often make each trip to Louisville its own lasting memory.
Bill and I parted ways for the day as the Land Line staff made their way to the Exposition Center for the media events. Many hours later, I can tell you it was a very long day going from one press event to another. I’m dog-tired at this point. But I’m really looking forward to tomorrow.
Thursday is Day 1 of MATS with the trucking community filling the halls and wings of the Exposition Center. I look forward to chatting with a whole lotta good people during the next few days. Talking face to face with people who love the trucking industry is the highlight of the trip for me. People share stories about anything and everything affecting the industry. Good or bad, it's insight that stays with you for the long haul.
Well, it’s time to hit the shutdown button on this computer. There’s a big day ahead that starts before the sun peeks over the Kentucky sky. I just hope I don’t hear any yellowjackets under the sink tonight.
Gaining efficiency, inch by inch.
New NAST Web Site Debuts
MATS Countdown
Webasto’s John Thomas? Cool guy.
With IdleAire extinct (for now at least) this hybrid is a timely product. It provides long-duration cooling and hotel-load capabilities of a diesel-powered APU without engine idling, diesel particulate filters, or dedicated deep-cycle batteries.
At MATS, Land Line Now Senior Correspondent Terry Scruton and I had a chance to talk to John Thomas, general manager of Webasto’s Commercial Vehicle Division. That’s John and Terry in the above photo.
John is our kind of guy. His company doesn't just make a much-needed product; they believe lawmakers need to give truckers a break on buying and using this technology. When he says he spends time on in DC and in statehouses across the country educating lawmakers on the in-cab needs of professional truckers – he isn’t just talking the talk. He's been out there wearing out some shoe leather.
Webasto products are eligible for the federal excise tax exemption under the U.S. EPA SmartWay Transport Partnership. And they were among the first idle-reduction devices to get OKed for CARB's ULEV II (Ultra Low Emission Vehicle) idling emission-reduction requirements.
Ready, willing and Abelson
I had the good fortune to spend much of the day with Land Line Magazine's own Paul Abelson. You always learn something when you're with Paul. They don't call him Professor Paul for nothing.
The day started at the Bendix press conference, where the brake manufacturer was jazzed about some of its new products, including a new warning system that alerts drivers to the presence of stationary objects in the road.
As key members of the staff were introduced, I dutifully applauded each one until Paul, sitting at the table beside me, leaned over and, with a wink in his eye, said "Real journalists don't applaud." It was just the first of many lessons of the day from Professor Paul.
When Kenworth unveiled its new T-700 model truck - a pretty good-looking truck, if I do say so - the curtain around the thing had barely fallen when I looked up through the cab window and saw Paul crawling around inside, giving it a good once-over. He was, of course, the first in line.
At the Peterbilt lunch we had to take a bus away from the Expo Center to a hotel downtown. On the way back, our bus was late as it waited for some stragglers (including, I must admit, me), and I picked Paul's brain about the new MX engine from Paccar. He seems to like it, by the way.
By the time we got back to the Expo Center, a rumor had spread around that our bus had broken down. Paul was quick to dispel it. "It wasn't the bus that broke down," he joked. "It was the driver."
Ah, but Professor Paul's lessons weren't just limited to trucking knowledge and bad jokes. On our way to the Carrier Transicold press conference, Paul asked me a question. "Since it is NCAA tournament time, do you know what Syracuse (University) and Carrier Transicold have in common?"
"No," I said, bracing myself for a cringe-worthy punchline.
"Syracuse plays in the Carrier Dome, which is named for the company we are about to visit," he said.
I did not know that.
On Friday, we will engage in what has become a tradition for the Radio Show here at MATS - eating barbecue with Paul. Oh, sure, it's not as good as the stuff we get back in Kansas City, but it ain't bad. Besides, the meal is only part of the fun.
The dessert will be more lessons from Professor Paul.
The family reunion has yet to begin
Day 1 for me at Louisville has already been an eventful one.
Bendix had a lot to say at their press conference, and Kenworth had a good follow-up. Terry Scruton and Jami Jones are out at Peterbilt seeing what new things they have to offer while the rest of us do some preparation work for the other press conferences and get ready for what's coming this afternoon.
But while the big event for me started today, for the rest of the world, the real Mid America starts tomorrow.
That's because this is a family reunion. I have seen some of my old friends already. Suzanne Stempinski, Paul Abelson, Bill Hudgins and others who work with us at Land Line, but who live elsewhere. This is one of the few, great occasions all year where we see them personally.
And while I was sitting here in the press room, I saw Yoda - OOIDA Life Member Rusty Wade - wander briefly in the front door here, asking a quick question of the folks who run the show.
And tomorrow, I'll start seeing all of you. Old friends I've known and looked forward to seeing for years, new friends I have yet to meet.
It's really at Mid America that you learn that trucking is more than an industry. It's a community - a community not defined by geography, like a city or neighborhood, but a community defined by a trade held in common.
People have always found ways to get together in this community, talking on the CB and the AM radio as those got big, adopting cell phones and large conference calls when they came along, moving into chat rooms as the Internet started and now into the social media, like Facebook and Twitter, as well as the so-called "photosphere" (God how I hate that pretentious word!)
But nothing replaces face to face. And no place offers so many chances to do that as Mid America does.
We hope you're coming. If you get here, we'll welcome you. If you can't - we'll catch you whenever we can.
Highway Hero still a secret ... until Thursday night
Goodyear will introduce the final four nominees tomorrow night at the Truck Writers of North America industry awards banquet. As everyone holds their breath -- we will hear their stories and there's likely gonna be tears. Then one will be named the winner. Land Line will bring you that news.
The finalists are George Lantzy of Turtle Creek, PA, a driver for Fubar Trucking; Stephen Page, Gloucester, MA, a driver for Pit Bull Trucking; Jesse Lee Seal, Alma, AR, a driver for PDP Unlimited; and Junichi Shimizu, Gladstone, OR, a driver for Chipman Relocations. Later this week, I will tell you more of their admirable and quick-thinking stories of heroism on the highway.
The judges for this contest are the journalists from the trucking industry. I am not a judge this year and glad I am not. Choosing a winner from these four finalists would be a rock-you-back-on-your-heels tough choice and, well, they are all winners in my view.
Not only do these drivers earn the deserved recognition from the industry, but the winner also gets a $10,000 U.S. Savings bond, a plaque and a specially designed ring. The other three finalists get a $5,000 savings bond and plaque.
Watch this post for the announcement of the winning 2009 Goodyear North America Highway Hero.
Truckers' wish list
Bendix touted their stationary object alert system to warn drivers of objects in the road 3 seconds ahead of time. There was also the pneumatic booster system to improve fuel economy while reducing engine emissions.
The wish list grew during the Kenworth press event with talk about the PACCAR MX engine and the NavPlus system. Man oh man! The NavPlus really perked up my ears. It includes Garmin truck-specific navigation, Internet access, satellite radio, Bluetooth, camera inputs, and diagnostics and virtual gauges. I don't think I left anything out.
But the BIG moment came a few minutes later on the show floor. There, ready for first-time viewing, were a couple of T700s. The folks at KW tout their newest model as being the highest-quality and most fuel-efficient truck on the road.
Well, the morning press tour has concluded and the truckers' wish list is already growing quite long.