SAME SHOW - NEW FOCUS!
THE TRUCK SHOW LATINO MAKES SOME CHANGES
Out with the old and in with the new! After five years of producing The Truck Show Latino and Construction Truck and Equipment Expo but seeing only moderate success, it was time to make a change. The producers of the show, in an effort to attract a wider audience, switched gears and introduced The Golden State Trucking Expo, which was held on October 16-17 at the Fairplex in Pomona, California.
Over the years, while managing the International Trucking Show and The Truck Show Las Vegas, show producer Roger Sherrard noticed very little participation by Latino drivers. This was of great concern to him, as Latinos make up the largest ethnic group of drivers in the southwest. So, in 2005, along with Tom Stanford, then editor of RoadStar Magazine, the two came up with the idea of a show targeting Latino drivers.
“The Truck Show Latino” saw moderate success but never really took off like they (the show producers) thought it would. Part of the problem was the failing economy and the depressed state of the trucking industry in general, but even more than that was the fact that non-Latinos never felt like it was a show they could (or should) participate in, which kept many people away. The show has always been good, in regards to business, but it has always been small in regards to floor space and show trucks.
So, in an effort to broaden its reach, they changed a few things this year, including the name, to “The Golden State Trucking Expo” hoping to attract more truckers, no matter their ethnicity. They also brought in veteran truck show producer Bud Farquhar to manage and run the truck beauty contest portion of the show, which drew in trucks from across the country - not a lot of them - maybe 20 - but good ones, for sure.
Another change they made was to pair-up vendors with show trucks that featured their products. This proved to be a good idea, as attendees could see, first-hand, what a vendors’ product would look like on a real working (or non-working) rig. Instead of parking the show trucks at one end of the building by themselves, like usual, Bud parked the competing trucks in an aisle right through the center of the show, then put the appropriate paired-up vendor adjacent to the proper truck. It seemed to work well!
Walking the show floor and talking to the vendors, we found that most of them had nothing but positive things to say about the event, and many were excited about the changes. Mike Horan of RoadWorks said it best when he called the attendees a “qualified crowd.” Like we said, this show has always been good for business, and this year was no different. There may be less people in attendance versus many other shows, but those that are there really seem to be ready to make deals and do business. On Saturday night, after the show closed for the day, Bill & Marie Sandvik hosted an awesome Mexican fiesta for some of the competitors and vendors to enjoy.
Looking at the list of winners, it isn’t hard to see that a handful of trucks dominated in all of the classes. Competitors like Michael Most, Bill Sandvik, Jerry Kissinger and Bob & Shelly Brinker took home just about every award offered, but a couple others were able to get at least one. John Silva was awarded with the “Best Presentation” trophy, while John Gonzales of Yamko Truck Lines took home the trophy we at 10-4 choose. Yamko’s super-clean fleet of container-hauling Peterbilts just keeps getting better, so we thought it was time for them to get some well-deserved recognition!
If you missed this year’s show or have never attended because you thought it was not for you, we strongly urge you to reconsider and be there next year. Everybody who comes to the show seems to have a great time and the vendors seem to make a lot of great contacts and sales, so what’s stopping you? We’ll be there in 2011, and we hope to see you, too!
BEST PAINT (WORKING): Michael Most, 1998 Yellow Freightliner Classic (Legends & Heroes), Michael Most Trucking.
BEST PAINT (LIMITED MILES): Isaac Aguilar, 1992 Burgundy Peterbilt 379 (Still Delirious), Sandvik Trucking.
BEST SHINE (WORKING): Bob & Shelly Brinker, 2000 Freightliner Classic XL (The Legend of the Black Pearl), Brinker Transport.
BEST SHINE (LIMITED MILES): Isaac Aguilar, 1992 Burgundy Peterbilt 379 (Still Delirious), Sandvik Trucking.
BEST ENGINE (WORKING): Bob & Shelly Brinker, 2000 Freightliner Classic XL (The Legend of the Black Pearl), Brinker Transport.
BEST ENGINE (LIMITED MILES): Isaac Aguilar, 1992 Burgundy Peterbilt 379 (Still Delirious), Sandvik Trucking.
BEST INTERIOR (WORKING): Michael Most, 1998 Yellow Freightliner Classic (Legends & Heroes), Michael Most Trucking.
BEST INTERIOR (LIMITED MILES): Isaac Aguilar, 1992 Burgundy Peterbilt 379 (Still Delirious), Sandvik Trucking.
BEST THEME (WORKING): Michael Most, 1998 Yellow Freightliner Classic (Legends & Heroes), Michael Most Trucking.
BEST THEME (LIMITED MILES): Isaac Aguilar, 1992 Burgundy Peterbilt 379 (Still Delirious), Sandvik Trucking.
BEST PRESENTATION (WORKING): Jerry Kissinger, 1991 Burnt Orange Mack SuperLiner (Thumper).
BEST PRESENTATION (LIMITED MILES): John Silva, 2000 Red Peterbilt 379 Extended Hood, Silva Hay.
BEST OF SHOW (WORKING): Bob & Shelly Brinker, 2000 Freightliner Classic XL (The Legend of the Black Pearl), Brinker Transport.
BEST OF SHOW (LIMITED MILES): Isaac Aguilar, 1992 Burgundy
Peterbilt 379 (Still Delirious), Sandvik Trucking.
PEOPLE’S CHOICE: Jerry Kissinger, 1991 Burnt Orange Mack SuperLiner (Thumper).
SPONSOR’S CHOICE (10-4 MAGAZINE): John Gonzales, Yamko Truck Lines’ Beautiful Fleet of Black Cherry and Magenta Peterbilts.