10-4 Magazine - For Today's Trucker

BIG FUN IN TEXAS
By Roving Reporter Suzanne Stempinski

The state of Texas covers more ground than a whole slew of other states put together. It’s the land of big sky, big hats, and a very big truck show. The Great American Trucking Show (GATS), August 24-26 was all about big trucks, big parties, big business and big fun.

More than 600 exhibitors and suppliers filled multiple rooms in the Dallas Convention Center and spilled over into the parking lot – offering a smorgasbord of trucks, trailers, accessories, parts, products, services, jobs, information, education and entertainment to crowds of truck drivers, their families, and friends of the trucking industry.

Once again, 10-4 Magazine was present in a big way. Our booth, filled with t-shirts and posters, magazines and good cheer, drew lots of visitors. Many of the folks who stopped by the booth were regular readers, even though our distribution network has not yet expanded to Texas (but it will very soon). It was great to hear that our magazine travels everywhere trucks go. In fact, when you tune in to CMT’s “Trick My Truck” television show, look closely at boss-man Bryan Martin, as he frequently wears a 10-4 t-shirt under his halfway-buttoned work shirt. We really do get nationwide coverage!

GATS offered a great roster of educational seminars, including “How to Survive a Safety Audit” and “Hours of Service Regulations.” Other seminar topics included “Saving Dollars Through Maintenance” and “How to Become a Motor Carrier or Freight Broker.” And let’s not forget the all-important seminar covering “Engine Changes in 2007.” There were product introductions and information about changes to existing products. Oil companies, such as ChevronTexaco have made modifications and improvements to their product lines to work with the 2007 emissions requirements for new engines. The low emission oils will also be “backward-compatible” for older engines and will provide the same or better lubrication as previous oils, according to Chevron’s global manager of heavy-duty motor oil, J.A. McGeehan. Shell and Exxon Mobil are also ready for the change, introducing their low emission products. They’ll all be available mid-October of this year.

Like the idea of Alcoa’s Dura-Bright wheels, but didn’t think they were quite shiny enough? Well, the folks at Alcoa must have agreed, because effective September 1st, the Dura-Bright line of wheels will begin a transition to a new technology that will make them 53% more reflective, with image clarity boosted by 74%. The new XBR technology penetrates the wheel and is more than just a surface coating. And they’ll still clean up with just a little soap and water. Sounds good, looks great!

Speaking of looking great – as always, the 60+ trucks in the Pride and Polish were bigger, better and bolder than ever before. Trucks that work every day; trucks that only come out to play; trucks that have more than a million miles; trucks that just rolled out of a shop or off a lot – they all came to compete and proudly show why they’re the best representatives of the trucking industry. With blinding chrome, aluminum and stainless, paint that gleamed, interiors that were simple or simply mind-boggling – the biggest crowds were always in the show truck area. Specially made floors, custom upholstery, custom cabinetry, stereos and multiple monitors, lights inside and out – the possibilities were endless.

In talking with the drivers and owners, each had stories to tell – why they truck, how they got started, what drives them. In most cases, the why is pretty simple. Professional truck drivers love what they do, take pride in themselves and their equipment and with careful planning and sound financial management, work to overcome obstacles outside of their control (like spiraling fuel prices and changing hours of service regulations) in order to provide for their families and themselves. They’re meticulous in their attention to detail in all aspects of their business – maintenance, safety, reliability, accountability. And they’re attentive to the appearance they present every day – to their customers, to the public, to their families and friends.

Bob & Shelly Brinker dressed as pirates to complement their “Pirates of the Caribbean” themed Freightliner. Harvey and Karen Zander sported “Icy Blu 2” embroidered shirts in the same shade of blue as their International. Clint Dicks (along with his mom, dad and a friend who came to help with the cleaning and detailing), wore vibrant orange and white to coordinate with his Peterbilt. Tommy & Kim Turner carried the cowboy theme of their truck into their clothing. Darlene Swift had t-shirts made for herself and a bunch of friends with her truck’s name and a picture of her dog emblazoned across the front. And many other show participants’ attire left no doubt as to who they were, who they drive for and what they’re all about.

In addition to polishing, cleaning, learning and strolling the aisles in search of the next trucking “thing,” there was plenty of time for fun – and truckers sure know how to let their hair down and kick up their heels for a party. During the show, autograph opportunities were plentiful, with special appearances by former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach; country music stars Trace Adkins, Mickey Gilley and newcomer Robin English; and the stars of CMT’s “Trick My Truck” – the makeover magicians from the Chrome Shop Mafia. After hours, there were barbecues and corporate-sponsored events and concerts. Aaron Tippin, sponsored by Mobil Delvac and Ronnie Milsap, sponsored by Volvo had GATS attendees toe-tapping and dancing.

Every day offered something different. On Saturday, the 3rd Annual Truck Driver Gender Challenge pitted two veteran drivers against each other in a driving, backing and parking skills challenge. This light-hearted event was serious about one big thing – raising money to support the Special Olympics. When the judging was done, for the first time in the event’s history, a man made the grade – veteran driver Dwayne “Smokin’ Eagle” Gurkins of Foresbille, Texas beat his female challenger Cindy “Champagne Lady” Stowe.

And speaking of judges – the Pride and Polish judges included members of the 2006 Great American Trucking Family. The Fraley family, who hails from Kentuckiana (northern Kentucky and southern Indiana), have 40 drivers in their extended family, with more than 1200 years of combined experience currently on the road. They’ve been trucking since 1880. Think they know a little something about trucks? When the tallying was done, there was plenty of recognition to go around. Familiar faces and newcomers, tricked out trucks and simple, clean, detailed rides – even though not every participant received a trophy, they all left as winners.

Clint Dicks has won Best of Show at almost every competition he’s entered in 2006, and GATS was no different. With his 2000 Peterbilt 379 custom hood tractor and dressed-to-match 2006 Mac flatbed trailer, Dicks kicked it up another notch with a fresh paint job, placing a stronger emphasis on orange. Hailing from the Sunshine State of Florida, Dicks parks on orange carpet, displays an orange tree, coordinates with orange accessories and chairs and even put out “Freshly Squeezed” orange M&Ms.

Harvey and Karen Zander hauled off a whopping five trophies, including Best of Show Bobtail. Zander, who lives near Minneapolis, Minnesota and is leased to Dart Transportation, runs through all kinds of weather (think snow, ice, hail and sleet), parks his truck on a gravel lot and does much of the work on his truck himself (with lots of help from Karen, of course). The Zanders have been regulars on the show truck scene since the mid-1990’s and, in addition to making their truck shine, they love to mentor newcomers – sharing tips, tricks and cleaning supplies. Harvey and Karen are great ambassadors for the trucking industry. Our congratulations go out to all the winners.

MOST TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED CAB: 1st Darlene Swift; 2nd Tommy & Kim Turner; 3rd Tony Trinchini.
BEST PETERBILT: 1st Greg Muirhead; 2nd Tony Trinchini; 3rd Clint Dicks.
BEST FREIGHTLINER: 1st Darlene Swift; 2nd Bob & Shelly Brinker; 3rd Glenn Horack.
BEST CATERPILLAR ENGINE: 1st Chuck Prigge; 2nd Bob & Shelly Brinker; 3rd Tommy & Kim Turner.
INTERIOR (EXCLUDING SLEEPER): 1st Michael Barry (photo 4); 2nd Dale Lambrecht, Jr.; 3rd Rusty Conn.
OEM SLEEPER: 1st Harvey & Karen Zander; 2nd Bob & Shelly Brinker; 3rd Chuck Prigge.
CUSTOM AFTERMARKET SLEEPER: 1st Tommy & Kim Turner; 2nd Darlene Swift; 3rd Stanley Rochester.
PAINT (NON MURAL) BOBTAIL: 1st Dale Lambrecht, Jr. (photo 2); 2nd John Schmitz; 3rd Rusty Conn.
PAINT (MURAL) BOBTAIL: 1st Darlene Swift (photo 1); 2nd Bob & Shelly Brinker; 3rd Harvey & Karen Zander.
PAINT (NON MURAL) COMBO: 1st Clint Dicks; 2nd Pat Eilen; 3rd Dave Hinz.
PAINT (MURAL) COMBO: 1st Joe Tartaglia; 2nd Terry Fabian.
BEST ENGINE: 1st Harvey & Karen Zander; 2nd Chuck Prigge; 3rd Bob & Shelly Brinker.
NON-WORKING ANTIQUE: 1st James Swick; 2nd Jeff Fields.
WORKING ANTIQUE: 1st Jerry Howard.
BOBTAIL (1977-1983): 1st Donald Martinek.
BOBTAIL (1986-1998): 1st Chuck Prigge; 2nd Justin Thornhill; 3rd Dale Lambrecht, Jr.
BOBTAIL (2000-2002): 1st Bob & Shelly Brinker (photo 5); 2nd Darlene Swift; 3rd John Schmitz.
BOBTAIL (2003-2004): 1st Harvey & Karen Zander; 2nd Rusty Conn; 3rd Daryl & Rhonda Rodman.
BOBTAIL (2005-2007): 1st Michael Barry; 2nd Robert & Karen Peterson; 3rd David Foster.
COMBO (1992-1995): 1st Tommy & Kim Turner; 2nd Greg Farrar; 3rd Ted Dykes Sr.
COMBO (1996-1999): 1st William Mecroules; 2nd Calvin & Ellen Long; 3rd Tommy Roach.
COMBO (2000-2003): 1st Tony Trinchini (photo 6); 2nd Wayne Baker; 3rd Joe Tartaglia.
COMBO (2004-2007): 1st Pat Eilen; 2nd Phil Wiebe; 3rd Peter Wiebe.
FLEET OWNED BOBTAIL: 1st Ronnie Johnson; 2nd Rick & Shannon Crenshaw; 3rd David Landers.
FLEET OWNED COMBO: 1st Clint Dicks; 2nd Dave Hinz; 3rd Greg Muirhead.
LIMITED MILEAGE BOBTAIL: 1st Adrian Rocamontes; 2nd Chris Marshall; 3rd Dallas McCord (photo 7).
LIMITED MILEAGE COMBO: 1st Greg Muirhead; 2nd Mary Deater.
CHARITY’S CHOICE: Julian “Big Daddy” Perez.
PARTICIPANT’S CHOICE: Michael Barry (photo 8).
BEST OF SHOW BOBTAIL: Harvey & Karen Zander.
BEST OF SHOW COMBO: Clint Dicks.
BEST OF SHOW LIMITED MILEAGE BOBTAIL: Adrian Rocamontes.
BEST OF SHOW LIMITED MILEAGE COMBO: Greg Muirhead (photo 3).