I made it home. Safely and in one piece, I drove the 401 from Toronto to Montreal and back. Amazing! You would think so. At least I do. WHY? In fact WHY go to Montreal in the first place, Toronto has everything they do, NOT!

Well let's look at what we put up with. CLOSED REST AREAS. POLICE HIDING BETWEEN BRIDGE AND HIGHWAY UNDER/OVER PASS. TRUCKS TRUCKS AND MORE TRUCKS. The real reason for the trip was after all to attend EXPOCAM. The show was slow to dead on Thursday and Friday. Saturday was busy. I have to admit, I still enjoy the size of our industry, the size of the trucks, the friendly competition, the same faces year after year, some even look a little younger, some a little older. We have our own truck show in Toronto, why go to EXPOCAM?

I figure within reason, almost anyshow is worth going to. The ideas, being presented. THe new and improved being presented. The changes being presented. Once there, you are very captive (NO, NOT AS IN AN INSURANCE CAPTIVE), intrigued, mesmerized, and get that rush again of loving the business we are invovled in. At the same time, we saw what we do not like about our business.

People got together and we discussed things. For some we agreed to disagree. For others, it was a study in HUMAN NATURE. Watching ADULTS and CHILDREN alike getting all excited about receving a free KEYCHAIN. What? a free KEYCHAIN. You heard right folks, a couple of the booths were giving away free keychains. Not only they were the busiest booths, I was miffed. (1) Why are we letting children into a TRADE SHOW, where we have Hundred's of Thousands of $$$$$ worth of EQUIPMENT ON DISPLAY. I know here I go again being controversial.

In my postion as General Manager, of a MEDIUM SIZED TRANSPORTATION COMPANY, I attend to learn, see, touch, remember, discover. Well that I did. I discovered, if you have a free keychain at the booth, or a free pen, people will take 2, 3, or 4, of them. Will they use them? I doubt it. I mean after all how many keychains can you use at one time. how many Pens do You need? Are times really that bad? Since for most people in attendance the admission was free, We should start every trade show in the TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY AS FOLLOWS.

(1) YOU HAVE A FREE ADMISSION TICKET, GREAT, PLEASE BRING IN AT LEAST A DONATION FOR THE LOCAL FOODBANK. We should collect it right at the entry door. Beside the free Hat giveaway.
(2) EVERY BODY SHOULD BE REQUESTED TO DONATE AT LEAST A QUARTER UPON ENTRY.
Then, we as an industry take the MONEY and use it for such great causes as TRUCKING FOR WISHES. JUST THINK 10,000 PEOPLE THAT MEANS WE NET RIGHT AT THE SHOW AT LEAST $ 2,500.00. WHO WOULD BALK AT DROPPING IN $0.25 IN A DONATION CONTAINER FOR A CHARITY OF SOME KIND.
(3) BETTER YET! TAKE ALL THE FREE KEYCHAINS, PENS PINS AND OFFER THEM AT THE FRONT DOOR IN EXCHANGE FOR THE DONATION.

A few years ago, I started collecting the TRUCK CARDS that all of our drivers receive, with their scale tickets. Everyone out there in TRUCKLAND know the ones I mean. They have a picture of a truck on them,who owns it, where they run out of, and a little history of the truck. Now I certainly do not need these cards for anything, so ONE DAY I donated them to the local hospital to give out in the CHILDREN'S WARD. Something as simple as that made a child's day. A MILLION DOLLARS COULD NOT REPLACE THE SMILE ON THE KIDS FACES WHEN THEY WERE GIVEN A FEW OF THE CARDS.

Yes times are tough for us in this business, Yes times are slow, Yes times are challenging. Let's take a few moments and think of those less fortunate than ourselves, and do our little part to help. As an Industry, As a Company, and as an individual.

TRUCKNEWS.COM thanks for allowing me the space to postulate once in a while, and not everything written here has to be about our industry, as such.