Birthdays, times to think (July 01, 2002)

by Ted Light

As you have no doubt noticed by now, Truck News has turned 21. Our three-month birthday celebration ends with this issue and I couldn’t let the time pass with out sharing a few memories of my own.

I remember joining my brother Brian on a part-time basis when he first launched this behemoth – it was much smaller back in the early ’80s, mind you – to help deliver the magazine to truck stops and parts counters around Ontario.

It wasn’t long before I came onboard as a full-time sales manager and developed a love of the industry I still carry with me today.

It funny, after reading what former editors John G. Smith and Brenda Grant had to say about Atlantic Canada, I can’t help but recollect a weekend with John Curran attending the Truckers’ Association of Nova Scotia convention in Truro.

Our rental car was not available so the company upgraded us to a metallic teal Mustang, the likes of which the locals had rarely seen. At every traffic light and stop sign, some new passer-by felt compelled to tell us how much they loved this high-octane machine.

Easterners are so friendly they thought nothing of launching into a conversation with complete strangers over nothing more significant than a rental car.

That same trip we later found ourselves at the Halifax airport on whatever Sunday afternoon it happened to be. We got there early and spent more than 90 minutes crowded around a television with the other travellers watching Wayne Gretzky play his final game with the New York Rangers. Grown men standing next to people they didn’t even know rubbed their eyes as Walter appeared in the pre-game tribute.

Out West, who could forget the great trips to the various locations of Truxpo. So many wonderful friends and so little space to write…

That’s what I love most about my time at Truck News, it gave me a chance to crisscross the country and deal with the personalities that make not only the Canadian trucking industry great, but in fact the entire country.

I guess that’s what I miss most about my active days as publisher – the people. Now that I have the word ‘executive’ in front of my title, I simply don’t have a chance to tour like I used to.

That honor now goes to Rob Wilkins, who has done a spectacular job replacing me as the leader of the Truck News crew by the way. He is always willing to sit down to chat with members of the industry just as I was.

Oh, and incase you’re wondering, Blue Light will always be his answer to, ‘What can I get you?’ – just as it was for me as well.


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