10-4 Magazine - For Today's Trucker

THE PLACE TO BE
AN OLD SHOW GETS A NEW ATTITUDE
Click here to see the photos!

After an ugly breakup with the CTA, Independent Trade Show Management (the company that has been producing the ITS show since the 1960s) broke away and started their own show in Las Vegas, while the CTA took the name of the International Trucking Show and moved it back to Anaheim to be held later this fall. Held at the Las Vegas Convention Center on June 10-12, this first-ever (sort of) event dubbed “The Truck Show Las Vegas” was attended by many who looked at this year’s show as a trial run or “test” to see if they should continue to participate in the show - including us at 10-4 Magazine. Having been an exhibitor in Las Vegas for the past ten years, we had to lend our support and give it a try. And, in our opinion, it passed the test.

Although not the biggest show ever, The Truck Show Las Vegas was a great success in terms of productivity. We noticed a surge in actual “business deals” which many other attendees and exhibitors reiterated wholeheartedly. There may not have been as many companies or people at this year’s show, but the people who were there were there to get things done - not just meander the aisles. Unfortunately, almost all of the major OEMs opted out of this show, with exception to Mack, Ford and a few trailer manufacturers. Shame on them - they missed a good opportunity. We hope they realize the error of their ways and attend next year.

We at 10-4 Magazine, as usual, were having fun in our booth. This year, we invited 4-State Trucks out of Joplin, Missouri to bring out their new “Outlaw” truck and feature it in our booth. Bryan Martin and his mother Linda brought out a ton of cool T-shirts and catalogs and Bryan answered probably hundreds of questions about the truck each and every day of the show. Most people loved it but a few thought it needed some paint and some chrome (I guess they missed the point). We’d like to thank 4-State and Cliff Jennings (pictured above with one of the six Alcoa Dura-Bright wheels that he won in a drawing at the Stars & Stripes awards ceremony) for hauling the truck out West for us to show it off. To learn more about this neat “Outlaw” truck, be sure to read this month’s cover feature.

In addition to having the unique truck on display in our booth, we also had some fun cut-outs for people to goof off and take their picture with. Following the Las Vegas/Outlaw theme that was featured in our booth, Gil at Keller Signs & Graphics in Fontana, CA made us a pair of stand up, life-sized, gun wielding, Bonnie & Clyde characters, using heavy duty sheets of plastic covered with airbrushed cut vinyl, with the faces cut out. He did a fantastic job (see photo below on left). Thanks for all your hard work Gil. People had fun sticking their faces through the holes and acting silly. We always like to create a fun and relaxed atmosphere in our booth and these cut-outs were a really big hit.

Along with the hundreds of vendors and exhibitors, close to 50 trucks lined two sides of the show’s perimeter to compete for cash and prizes. Stars & Stripes Show Truck Events hosted a spectacular display of the finest working and non-working show trucks from across the country. Some notable trucks in attendance included Enrique Venegas’ black 1988 Pete with shaved headlights, suicide doors and custom-made wheel spinners, Rod Pickett’s long and low 1977 Pete 359 and Sandvik Trucking’s three incredible show trucks as well as a few “toys” they brought (a sand dragster and a super high-performance quad motorcycle). Jerod Cooper of Jacobs Trucking (along with some help from his kids - see photo below) had their sharp metallic brown Pete with ghost flames looking better than ever, and Josh Lott made sure that Western States’ yellow Pete was cleaned to perfection. But the king of this show was none other than Mike Maggini (photo on facing page at top). His yellow Pete with green flames and Utility flatbed took home five trophies, including Best of Show Combo. Many other awesome rigs were on hand - too many to mention. But everyone who competed should be proud of the group they were a part of.

Next year’s show is scheduled for June 16-18, 2005. Keep reading 10-4 Magazine and checking our website (www.tenfourmagazine.com) for additional details and updates as they become available. We hope to see many more of you at “The Truck Show Las Vegas” next year.

The show’s sponsors included Chevron DELO, Newport’s RoadStar Magazine, OOIDA, Rockwood Products, Alcoa Wheel Products, Bridgestone/Firestone Tires, PPG Industries, Howes Lubricator Products, Valley Chrome Plating, Road Works Manufacturing, Truk-Rodz by Jones Performance, White Diamond Metal Polish, Double Eagle Sleepers/Arthur Glick Truck Sales and Rig Skirts. And the winners were:

BOBTAIL (2002 & NEWER): 1st Jacobs Trucking/Jerod Cooper; 2nd Prizm Transport/Mike Miller; 3rd Rick Sladek.
BOBTAIL (2001 & OLDER): 1st Sandvik Trucking/Johnny Hidalgo; 2nd TDT, Inc./Clint Dicks; 3rd Ron & Jan Huey.
BOBTAIL (WORKING CLASSIC): 1st EVR Trucking/Enrique Vanegas; 2nd Western States Wholesale/Mark Strickland; 3rd Robinson Transport/Les Nofsinger & Matt Long.
BOBTAIL (FIRST SHOW): 1st Southern Pride/Toney & Donna Bennett; 2nd Kennesaw Transportation/Dave Brandt; 3rd Fortune Express/Adam South.
COMBO (OPEN CLASS): 1st Mont Boardman; 2nd Robinson Transport/Kevin Williams; 3rd Maggini Trucking/Bobby Ispen.
COMBO (COMPANY TRUCK): 1st McLane Transport/Mike McLane & Max Haertling; 2nd John Ray Enterprises/John & Kay Ray; 3rd FFE/Darrell Caldwell, Jr.
COMBO (SPECIALIZED): 1st Todd West Trucking/Todd West (see photo below on left); 2nd Double BB Trucking/Richard Hall; 3rd CTR Trucking/John Testa.
COMBO (FLATBED): 1st Maggini Trucking/Mike Maggini; 2nd Tony Trinchini; 3rd Rockin’ H Express/Billy Hopkins.
INTERIOR (CAB ONLY): 1st TDT, Inc./Clint Dicks; 2nd Maggini Trucking/Mike Maggini; 3rd (tie) Jacobs Trucking/Jerod Cooper & Rockin’ H Express/Billy Hopkins.
INTERIOR (OEM SLPR): 1st Fortune Express/Mike Knezevich; 2nd Ron & Jan Huey; 3rd Mont Boardman.
INTERIOR (CUSTOM SLPR): 1st John Ray Enterprises/John & Kay Ray; 2nd Western States Wholesale/Mark Strickland; 3rd Sandvik Trucking/Johnny Hidalgo.
CUSTOM PAINT (BOBTAIL): 1st Prizm Transport/Mike Miller; 2nd (tie) Sandvik Trucking/Johnny Hidalgo & Jacobs Trucking/Jerod Cooper; 3rd TDT, Inc./Clint Dicks.