Truck Topics
Expedite Expo a Huge Success!
Did you make it to the 2007 Expedite Expo?
Well, if you did, you can stop reading now. You're already aware of what a great show took place in Wilmington!
For the information of those unable to attend, the Expo was everything General Manager Lawrence McCord and his staff had hoped for and much more.
The attendance figures show 5,415 people passed through the gates and that's around a 20 percent increase from the 2006 show. The Expo had visitors from 36 states and Canada.
The aisles of the Roberts Convention Centre were busy with attendees - single show-goers, groups of expediters and entire families taking in the sights of North America's original expedited trucking show.
Ben and Melanie Easters, expedite tractor-trailer owner-operators and fleet owners who are residents of Hawaii, say that the Expo offered a great deal of information and that "we learn something new about expediting at every show."
Ben explains, "We've found that no matter how long we've been in trucking and expedite, we can always learn something fresh. I had a chance to talk to some truck dealers here and I think I've made a decision on the next truck(s) I buy for our fleet."
With over 100 exhibitors filling the Roberts Centre display floor, there was something of interest for everyone. From the expedited carriers and the expedited truck dealers and vendors to the "living statues" Veterans Memorial and the "Blue Man", stilt-walkers, magicians, music and entertainment, attendees were engrossed by the sights and sounds of the show.
Friendships
In addition to the Expo's exhibitors' presentations, the event offered members of the expedited trucking community the opportunity to say hello to old friends and to make new ones.
There has always been a significant difference between the Expedite Expo and the "typical" trucking show and it can be summed up in one word - camaraderie.
Mr. and Mrs. Steve Simmons, fleet owner drivers. This is our second Expo. The first year we attended, we didn't know anything about expediting."
"Now, we have some experience and it's time to buy our own truck. We attended the truck financing seminar and I got the answers I needed, so we visited with the truck dealers who are all here in one place."
The expediting community is a tightly-knit group of individuals who form relationships and friendships on the road, on the internet and at the Expo. It is indeed a heart-warming sight when friends, who might not see each other except for the casual chance meeting on the road, are able to meet up at the Expo and spend quality time together.
This camaraderie was evident at the Tailgate parties sponsored by Express-1 Expedite Solutions and Prestige Expedite along with the Express-1 EO Forum Members Breakfast. These get togethers served to re-unite old friends and allowed internet friends to put faces to screen names.
Josef Wolinski, a cargo van owner-operator from Chicago, IL says that he made it to the show specifically for the Expediter Workshops.
"I came for the truck buying and maintenance seminars and got a lot of good information. I was surprised how big the show was and how many trucks dealers there were - there was lots to see. I'm already planning to attend next year!"
Around 3:00 pm on Saturday, the Expo crowd began to assemble in front of the Speedco Entertainment Stage. With Dave Nemo handling the MC duties, a number of sponsors were recognized for their Expo contributions by Lawrence McCord. After an energetic and well-received performance by rising star Jennifer Anderson, Bryan Martin and the Chrome Shop Mafia took the stage to the cheers of the crowd.
Regarding the Boyz: Their display was composed of their customized tractor "Inferno" pulling a merchandise sales trailer along with a customized chopper painted to match. Their exhibit was jammed during both days of the show!
They responded to the demands of their fans with autographs, photo ops, t-shirts, caps and other merchandise. The Boyz and their TV show are more popular than ever, with an audience that extends beyond the world of trucking.
Progressive Insurance Expedite Driver Choice Awards.
Ms. Shelly Benisch of Commercial Insurance Solutions drew the winning contestant's name for the Progressive Insurance Expedite Driver Choice Awards.
The winning expedited truck dealer/manufacturer is Bentz Transport Products of Ossian, IN for their Kenworth W900 with a Bentz 150" sleeper.
The Speedco Supertruck Driveaway Sweepstakes
The centerpiece of this year's show was, of course, the drawing for the Chrome Shop Mafia-customized Supertruck.
After a brief description of how the Supertruck Sweepstakes came to be, Speedco CEO Mark Clark got the prize drawing underway. When the twelve finalists assembled onstage, they each drew a key and tried to start the Supertruck.
The truck remained silent for the first four contestants, but number five had the magic key! Amid the crowd's cheers, horns blasting and a cascade of ballons dropping from the ceiling, winner Keith Sampson of Rhome, TX emerged from the Supertruck, arms raised in victory.
After he caught his breath, Keith was able to tell us about his win: "I feel great! I came to the Expo for the drawing but I never expected to win it. Now that it's starting to sink in and things are settling down, my heart's not beating as fast!"
Keith is an owner-operator with Select Carrier Group (SCG), a sister company of EGL. He and his wife team to haul a dedicated run twice weekly from Dallas/Ft Worth to Chicago. Keith has been a professional driver for 20 years and the couple has been a driving team for 16 years.
When asked if he might consider moving into expedited trucking, given that he has the "ultimate expediter", Keith tells us, "No, I like the company I'm with, we work well together and we love our dedicated run."
Keith says that he uses a Speedco location in Troy, IL on a regular basis and that's where he signed up for the Supertruck Sweepstakes.
His plans for the Supertruck?
"I've thought about making it into a camper, it would work great for hauling my bike around! We've talked about putting a driver in it along with some other ideas but nothing is set in stone."
Thoughts on the 2007 Expedite Expo from General Manager Lawrence McCord
"This was the best show we've ever done and we owe it to the expedited trucking community as a whole - the attendees, the exhibitors and show sponsors, our staff, the Roberts Centre and everybody involved in putting this show together!"
He continues, "I was talking to a first-time trucking show attendee who remarked, 'These expediters seem like a big family. Even if they drive for different companies, everybody seems to know each other!'"
"That's very important to us - that people come away from this show with a sense of community. After all, we're all in this together!"
McCord says that plans are underway for 2008. "When we get back to the office on Monday, we'll have a meeting about how we can top this year's show. I've got some ideas..."