Truck Topics

The SuperTruck Unveiled

"The Expediter Experience was a smash hit!  It was THE place for expediters to convene, to catch up with one another and to see all of the new expediter trucks on display.  New trucks were sold, owner-operators were signed with carriers and the Expediter Workshops were a success.  It was a great time!"

So says Micki McIntyre, Coordinator of the Expediter Experience held at the 36th Mid America Trucking Show in Louisville.  The expedited freight-specific section of the trucking show encompassed over 10,000 square feet of exhibits that featured expedited carriers, truck dealers and more.

McIntyre continues, "There are many people who visit the Expediters Online web site but who had never had the opportunity to see a Workshop or meet us on the road.  The show allows us to get to know them - to find out what we're doing right and what we're doing wrong."

"The Expediter Experience gives us a chance to meet all kinds of people, prospective expediters and veterans alike.  We get to meet a lot of different people from the general trucking world as well, including entire families.  For many trucking families, MATS is one of the high points of the year - they build an entire vacation around the show."  

McIntyre says that The Paul K. Young Truck Beauty Show with over 100 show trucks competing was held just outside of the West Wing. This created a great deal of additional floor traffic through the Expediter Experience.

The centerpiece of this year's Expediter Experience and the truck that had everybody talking was the Speedco SuperTruck - the expediter truck customized and custom painted by the sheet metal wizards of the Chrome Shop Mafia, stars of CMT's "Trick My Truck".

A closely-held secret since last year's Expedite Expo, this was the SuperTruck 's unveiling before it embarks on a whirlwind tour of selected Speedco stores and expedited carrier locations. 

The final stop of that tour, sponsored by Bolt Express, will be the Expedite Expo in Wilmington, Ohio in July.  At the close of that event, the SuperTruck will be awarded to the winner of a special Speedco/Expo drawing!

Lawrence McCord, General Manager of Expediters Online, one of the sponsors of the SuperTruck says, "We're thrilled with the way the SuperTruck turned out, it's a real work of art!  Speedco, along with Indiana Truck Sales and Alumi-Bunk Corporation, really stepped up to the plate with this promotion, and are "giving something back" to the expediting community.  It's going to be a very happy winner who gets to take this truck home!"

"Expediters Online is very proud to play a role in the Speedco SuperTruck Driveaway Sweepstakes and we're grateful to work with so many fine corporate sponsors.  We owe all of them a sincere thank you!"

"We'd also like to thank some of the expediters who helped us with this show and with other events throughout the year.  Thanks go to Terry and Rene O'Connell, Bob and Linda Caffee and a host of other volunteers."

McCord reflects on the Expediter Experience:  "I believe that the expediter "presence" at Mid America is beginning to gel as a unique area in itself.  I saw a real cohesion, by that I mean I saw a lot of expedited companies that are typically competitors pulling together for the industry. I think the Experience has developed a real sense of community."

When it came time to choose someone to take the SuperTruck on its' tour, Rich Moore of Jacksonville, Florida was selected from a very short list of drivers. 

An expedited trucking owner-operator since 1987, Moore says he has been eager to turn the key and hit the road:  "I've been looking forward to the tour since I was informed that I had the job.  I'd like to thank both Speedco and Expediters Online for their confidence in me and for the opportunity to show off this beautiful truck."

Speedco/Bolt Express SuperTruck Tour Schedule

March 30 Speedco Store #349, 2866 Lee Hwy. Wytheville, VA April 2 Speedco Store #308, 7709 Linglestown Rd Harrisburg, PA April 4 Speedco Store #312, 23728 Rogers Clark Blvd. Ruther Glen, VA April 6 Speedco Store #306, 101 Woodard Drive Kenly, NC April 7 Speedco Store #317, 940 Jimmie Kerr Road Haw River, NC April 9 Speedco Store #342, 1701 Everett Road Knoxville, TN April 10 Speedco Store #328, 196 McAuley Road Duncan, SC April 11-12 Speedco Store #327, 4136 Old McDonough Rd Atlanta, GA April 17 Speedco Store #343, 1111 Bucksnort Rd Jackson, GA April 19 Speedco Store #331, 3120 Buttermilk Rd Tuscaloosa, AL April 21 Speedco Store #346, 740 HWY 80 East Flowood Jackson, MS April 23 Speedco Store #353, 9620 US Hwy. 80 Shreveport, LA April 25 Speedco Store #310, 3112 HWY 391 N. Little Rock, AR April 27 Speedco Store #305, 4300 Petro Rd W. Memphis, AR April 30 Speedco Store #323, 5815 E 30th Joplin, MO May 2 Speedco Store #341, 301 SE 4th Street Oak Grove, MO May 4 Speedco Store #328, 2423 South 24th Street Council Bluffs, IA May 7 Speedco Store #326, 1103 Walker Street Walcott, IA May 9 Speedco Store #351, 1201 Denham Drive Pontoon Beach, IL *May 10 Speedco Store #301, 2180 Liebler Rd Troy, IL May 11 Speedco Store #302, 1704 West Evergreen Effingham, IL May 12 Speedco Store #3-8, 5225 West 26th Street Gary, IN May 25-26 Speedco Store #303, 5191 Harding Lane Indianapolis, IN May 29-31 Alumi-Bunk Corporation Toronto, Ont. June 2 FedEx Custom Critical Driver Appreciation Days Green, OH June 4-7 Alumi-Bunk Corporation Toledo, OH June 13 Tri-State Expedited Services Perrysburg, OH June 14 Express-1 Expedite Solutions Buchanan, MI June 18-19 Speedco Store # Whiteland, IN June 22 Speedco Store #314, 26313 Baker Road Stony Ridge, OH June 25 Speedco Store #333, 416 Village Drive Beaverdam, OH June 27 Speedco Store #313, 8686 Lake Road Seville, OH June 29 Speedco Store #352, 2689 Sidley Court Ashtabula, OH July 13-14 Panther Expedited Service Driver Appreciation Days Seville, OH July 18 Speedco Store #314, 26313 Baker Road Stony Ridge, OH July 19 Bolt Express Driver Appreciation Days July 26-28 Expedite Expo Wilmington, OH