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Show Time
by Peter Carter
In spite of high winds, unseasonably cold temperatures and an early evening rainstorm Saturday, organizers of the first ever Road Today Truck Show have deemed the event an unqualified success. While the weather might not have been fully cooperating for the inaugural event on May 30 - 31, proud truck owners were more than happy to bring out the polish and get the show 'n' shine season underway. And, the quality of trucks on display for the show 'n' shine portion of the event was second to none. Dan Prentice took a break from hauling produce for a potato farm around southern Ontario to show off his beautiful '97 Kenworth, with a 430 Detroit Diesel and 18-speed trannie, which earned Best in Show honors. The company-owned truck has about 1.6 million miles on the clock and is still the original factory colors, but Prentice has personally done the rest of the dressing up, including the stunning oak hardwood floors on the award-winning rig. Other winners from the show 'n' shine were: Sukhwinder Atwal, Best Light Show; Vic Pannu, Best Chrome; Harjeet Singh, Best Interior; Avtar Chauhan, Best Dump Truck; and John Composeo, Best Owner-Operator Truck. The Pit Crew Challenge was won by JBH Truck Centre, and the grand prize of two free air tickets to India was won by Sandeep Singh Sidhu. The event itself attracted more than 8,000 visitors and anyone who attended would agree there's never been a truck show like it. Sponsored primarily by Road Today magazine, which is produced for the South Asian segment of the trucking business, the show was held at the Powerade Centre in Brampton, Ont., home to a large population of South Asians. In addition to the indoor and outdoor trade show the Road Today show included, a job fair, a show 'n' shine, a pit crew challenge, a children's play area, children's entertainment and an ethnic food court featuring South Asian foods.
Linda Jeffrey, MPP for Brampton Springdale and Brampton Mayor Susan Fennell formally opened the show Saturday. Gurbax Malhi, MP for Bramalea-Gore-Malton and Harinder Takhar, Ontario Minister of Small Business and Consumer Services also visited the show Saturday and presented Road Today Trucking Excellence Awards to several participants. The closing ceremonies on Sunday were presided over by Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla, who represents the Brampton-Springdale riding. Sponsors of the show included Newcom Business Media (publisher of highwaySTAR and Today's Trucking magazine); SelecTrucks of Canada, Arrow Truck Sales, Western Toronto International, Diesel Truck Centre, Centerline Truck Lube, TransCore Link Logistics, Bluelake Enterprises, Moonstone Transport, Avaal Technology Solutions, CWC Immigration, Day and Night Cargo, Sailthru Truck Lube to name a few. More pictures of the show can be viewed at www.roadtodaytruckshow.com.
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