A stroll down memory lane

by Rob Wilkins

Recently I had a surprising e-mail arrive on my iPhone. It was from an old friend, someone I haven’t seen or heard from in over 30 years. She told me she was new to the industry and wanted to learn all she could about trucking, so she made a point of reading Truck News and came across my name. It was great reminiscing about the old days and the people we knew.  
That trip down memory lane caused me to sit back and think about this publication’s history. I wonder if the founders, Brian and Pam Light, envisioned it in its current format when they launched it over 30 years ago?

The odd thing is, back in the day, Brian and I were competing head-to-head on the retail beat. He had just started Truck News after a short stint with Heavy Truck Equipment News and I was the new kid on the block, responsible for selling the Ontario Truck Trader.

I recall meeting Brian in the lobby of one our advertisers. He was quick to point out that my magazine was going down, and I’d be looking for work within a year. His confidence overflowed and he was very convincing. As I walked out the door, his last comment was “When it happens, give me a call and we’ll talk.”

A few years later (and after I had moved on to another publication) Brian’s premonition became reality. Ontario Truck Trader did indeed cease publication.

I don’t see Brian that often these days, but when I do, we both have a good laugh about that day.

Over the years, we’ve seen a number of owners come and go. Regardless of whose logo appears after ours, this publication has always been managed as a separate entity. We don’t consider ourselves as being in the publishing business or part of a large corporation; we’re in the trucking business.

Most of our editors and salespeople have been with us for decades. We all eat and breathe trucking. It’s not unusual to find a flurry of e-mails between staff members at 10 p.m. or throughout the weekend. In fact, it’s the reason I broke down and purchased my first smartphone a few years back. There was way too much I was missing and my old cell phone just couldn’t cut it anymore.

Speaking of working here for decades, Kathy Penner, our associate publisher, just celebrated her 29th year at Truck News. Rumour has it she started her career when she was 10. Kathy started that rumour, so it must be true. Congrats Kathy!


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