Fuel for Thought
17 to 1
Odds are, if you attended this year's Expedite Expo, you probably had a pretty good time. Hopefully you gained valuable information about the expedite industry and you were able to network with fellow expediters as well as get information from various carriers and vendors also at the event.
Of the 17 annual Expedite Expos, this year's event was my first. Not only was it my first to attend, but it was also my first for being involved in such an event. I was able to meet with many fellow expediters, several carriers and vendors, as well as being a part of the Landstar Express America booth, which also happened to showcase my truck on display for the event.
It is quite an eye-opener to see all that goes on behind the scenes to put on such an event. Thanks to Lawrence McCord and all the fine folks of Ontime Media as well as the many vendors, the show was a success.
For my own part, if it were not for all the help that I received in preparing my truck for the show it would have turned out a lot different for me. Thanks to the efforts of Bob and Linda Caffee, Stephen Halsted, Sandy Goche and many others, my 2015 Cascadia straight truck (with over 250,000 miles on it) in the Landstar Express America booth was shining as well as the new trucks on display. Bob and I spent many hours on Wednesday preparing the truck for the show. Many more hours on Thursday were spent making the finishing touches on the truck in preparation for the Friday show opening. Stephen Halsted, of V3 Transportation also helped, proving that expediters, regardless of carrier, work together to help each other when the need arises.
I should also mention that Dave at Kentucky Wraps in Nicholasville, Kentucky, did an outstanding job of replacing the decals on the truck prior to the show. If you're ever in the area and would like some custom decal work done, please contact Dave at Kentucky Wraps.
Having had the opportunity to meet Terry O'Connell from FedEx Custom Critical a couple of years ago, I was very happy to see the awards ceremony for Terry at the Expo highlighting his achievements, service and dedication to expediters everywhere during his time in the industry. As he is retiring this year, his wealth of knowledge and wit will be missed by many.
Congratulations to the first ever Expediter of the Year winner, Robert Burton of V3.
If you have never attended the Expo before, I highly recommend you make plans for next year. It was a great event and next year will probably be even better.
See you down the road,
Greg