February 2, 2011 Vol. 7, No. 3

OK, let’s begin the proceedings with a small amusement. First off, have a look at the old sepia-toned picture below. And then help me launch a new game called ‘Name That Truck’ — which may never appear again, I must tell you, not least because most of you probably won’t have a clue what this is and the more passionate amongst you might get a little feverish with frustration and throw hard objects in my general direction. Or do I sell you short?

I sure didn’t know what this truck was. But what the heck, we can trust the driver’s word.

That’s because the driver seen lounging about here is Ross (Rosario) Meli, father of our senior account manager here at Today’s Trucking, Jack Meli, who found this photo in the family archives and brought it into the office to show me, smiling broadly as he did so. I’d guess I smiled pretty broadly in return, loving such photos and the little stories that tag along with them.

The picture was snapped in 1957 or 1958, in Venezuela no less. Rosario was hauling boxes of books and had stopped at a truckstop for a coffee and a smoke break. A stranger offered to take his picture with the truck, and apparently he was given a print immediately after it was shot.