FERGUS, Ont. – The weather may have been lousy, but that didn’t keep truck drivers and their families away from this year’s Fergus Truck show, says founder and organizer Sherry Clarke.

“The turnout was up this year,” says Clarke, adding this year’s show drew 41,083 visitors while last year’s drew about 38,500.

Show and Shine participation was up too, as was competition in the truck pull.

Clarke says the thanks for the increased numbers should go to the sponsors, as well as the volunteers who worked so hard to put the show together, and of course the truckers themselves, who were eager to visit with old acquaintances.

“It’s like a family reunion,” Clarke says of the event she founded 18 years ago.

“And the people are pretty hardy – even when the rain came Saturday, quite a few people stayed on the grounds.”

She said rumours the show was going to be sold were completely false.

But since then, Fergus has become a recognized non-profit corporation with one employee, namely Sherry Clarke, and a bevy of volunteers determined to make next year’s show even bigger and better.

In the meantime, Fergus fans will just have to content themselves with a few photos Truck News snapped at this year’s show. n

And the Winners Are…

Public’s choice: 1st Brad Hickman, Kratzer Trucking, Guelph, Ont., 2002 Peterbilt; 2nd Stan Hamulecki, Sunrise Equipment, Norwich, Ont., 1981 Kenworth

Best owner/operator’s working tractor: 1st John Camposeo, John Camposeo Ltd., Mississauga, Ont., 1985 Freightliner; 2nd Randy Sheperd, Erb Transport, New Hamburg, Ont., 1999 Freightliner

Best working conventional tractor without sleeper: 1st Joe Berry, Service Star Freightways, Bradford, Ont. 1985 Freightliner; 2nd Dave Joyce, Sleeman Brewery, Guelph, Ont., 2002 Freightliner

Best working cabover tractor: 1st Terry Vogler, Terry Vogler Trucking, Thamesville, Ont., 1992 Kenworth; 2nd George Mercer, TNT, Mississauga, Ont., 2000 Kenworth

Best 2003 or newer company working tractor: 1st Gerry Martin, Wallenstein Transport Ltd., Wallenstein, Ont., 2003 Peterbilt; 2nd Henry Loewen, Tri-Corp Transport, Aylmer, Ont. 2003 Peterbilt

Best pre-2003 company working tractor: 1st Brad Shantz, Thur Transport, Elmira, Ont. 2002 Western Star; 2nd Chris Hall, Sleeman Brewery, Guelph, Ont., 1999 Freightliner

Best 2003 or newer working tractor: 1st Dennis Brubacher, Ippolito Transportation, Burlington, Ont., 2003 Kenworth; 2nd Scott Jull, Heritage Truck Lines, Ayr, Ont., 2003 Peterbilt

Best 2001 to 2002 working tractor: 1st Grant Lough, Fastrax Transportation, Florenceville, N.B., 2001 International; 2nd Dave Cowan, Walker Transport, St. Thomas, Ont., 2001 Peterbilt

Best 1999 to 2000 working tractor: 1st Chris Barron, Rims Coop, Hamilton, Ont., 1999 Peterbilt; 2nd Chris Hall, Sleeman Brewery, Guelph, Ont., Freightliner

Best 1995 to 1998 working tractor: 1st Jay Anderson, Jackson Transportation Systems, Orillia, Ont., 1996 Peterbilt; 2nd Adam Hillis, Air Ride Systems, Fergus, Ont., 1997 Kenworth

Best 1984 to 1994 working tractor: 1st Mike Ryan, Kim Tam Truck Leasing, Mississauga, Ont., 1987 Peterbilt; 2nd Kevin and Jackie Carty, Landstar Ranger, Jacksonville, Fla., 1986 Freightliner

Best pre-1984 working tractor: 1st Cam Hiltz, Cam Hiltz Trucking, Newmarket, Ont., 1960 Mack; 2nd Brent Kurtz, Brian Kurtz Trucking, Breslau, Ont., 1968 Kenworth

Best restored non-working tractor: 1st Brian Kurtz, Brian Kurtz Trucking, Breslau, Ont., 1944 Kenworth; 2nd Derek Boniface, Erb Transport, New Hamburg, Ont., 1948 International. For a complete list of winners, contact the Fergus headquarters at 519-843-3412. n