PARIS, Ont. – For Kevin Clarke, the Truckfest competition held here was a matter of pride.

“It’s to show off what we do. We take real pride in our trucks,” says the Hill Transport Driver from Cambridge, Ont., referring to the line of company tractors registered in the show and shine; a fountain, pond and bench to round out the display. “It’s a chance to meet the public and talk about what we do.”

Such displays were the foundation of displays at the annual competition, which moved from Kitchener, Ont. to the Paris, Ont. Fairgrounds for the first time.

“I enjoy it for my husband, especially,” said Tanis Sloat, referring to her husband Sid, who hauls for Keith Hall and Sons in Burford, Ont. “He gets to see his buddies, and it’s about the only opportunity when they’re always on the road. For him it’s an old bull-haulers meeting.” And she was pitching in herself, with polish in hand as she shined the truck’s stacks.

For some, it was simply another chance to fill a lifelong interest in the machinery that makes this industry move. For Jerry Van Dyke, it was one of the few venues to show off his “Mini-Mack” – an Austin Mini converted into a tractor-trailer that won the annual People’s Choice Award. “We made a very big pit of it that you throw money into,” he joked.

Why the mini truck? “I always wanted to be a truck driver and no one would hire me,” he said.

But the remaining 144 entries were the pride of those who work the wheels for a living.

– Photos by John G. Smith