Twenty-five years and still going strong – Happy Birthday to the number one trucking publication in the industry! It just so happens that 2006 also marks my 25th year at Truck News. Although I still look young in my photo (hold your comments), I may be dating myself when I say that I am the longest-serving employee of this great publication. As such, it is a privilege to be able to reflect on its history and share a few words with our readers.

I have seen our magazine grow from a small basement publication to one of the largest and most successful trucking publications in all of North America. The very first edition of Truck News came off the press in May, 1981. In October that same year, I responded to a job posting at George Brown College and the rest is history.

Having grown up in this company, I have played many different roles and have seen many changes. I was originally hired as a receptionist and soon after, I was “promoted” to office manager. My responsibilities included everything from handling phone calls, invoicing, ordering supplies and ensuring that our production schedules were met. Several years later, shortly after the arrival of Mr. Ted Light, who was my mentor, I was handed the responsibility of selling career ads, on top of handling my administrative duties. The industry had just gone through deregulation and truck drivers had become a hot commodity. (Sound familiar?)

At the time, no other Canadian publications were selling “driver want ads.” While there are a number of publications that sell these ads now, we are still the strongest, by far. While I could take all of the credit for that, my modesty won’t allow me to do so. I must confess that the demand of our industry, combined with the success of our magazine has helped me grow this part of our business exponentially.

I am proud of the fact that, from day one, Truck News remains the largest and most widely-read publication in the Canadian trucking industry. Whether you are judging by the number of pages, editorial content or circulation figures, we continually deliver more than any other trucking publication.

I am thankful to be working beside some of the most respected people in our industry. Thanks to our dedicated staff, many of whom have been with us for more than 15 years, we are also the first on the streets every month. We have never missed a press date and we do whatever it takes to make sure of that. Truck News delivers results. I know first-hand that our commitment to quality and consistency is something that our valued clients, advertisers and suppliers respect most about our media.

That commitment was carried over to Truck West, Truck News’ sister publication. It launched in 1989 in response to requests from both readers and advertisers in Western Canada to have a publication dedicated to serving their particular needs. Other national publications write about the West from their seats in the East, but we are the only ones that have a full-time editor located in Western Canada. That editor’s sole job is to provide news and information to this important segment of the market. Although only 17% of the population of Canada is in the West, more than 30% of trucking entities are located there. Western Canada is an extremely vital segment of the trucking market. Not only are a large number of Canada’s trucking companies located there, but many of those companies are the fastest-growing, most progressive fleets in the country.

Truck News and Truck West have been proud and loyal supporters of the trucking industry for more than 25 years. We are THE voice for the trucking industry and we do our utmost to ensure that we report on the facts and issues without bias. We are committed to continuing to represent all aspects of our great industry. One of the most rewarding parts of my job is being able to attend all of the trade shows held across Canada. I love seeing my customers, many of whom I also call my friends. It is also an opportunity to get in front of the most important people of all, our readers. I want to take this opportunity to thank our faithful readers, our loyal advertisers and customers, as well as our dedicated Truck News and Truck West team. We owe our success and longevity to each of you. Thanks for making our first 25 years a tremendous success and we look forward to serving our industry for many years to come.