STIRLING, Ont. – Throngs of truck-lovin’ locals braved the blistering heat to be part of the second annual Eastern Ontario Big Rig Truck Show and Shine held at the Stirling Fairground June 15-17. By noon on the second day of the event, the show had already bested the attendance from the previous year with folks gathering from as far as Winnipeg and Pennsylvania.

“Things have been going great,” show chairman, Dave Potts, told Truck News during the event. “The vendors and the sponsors are exceptionally happy. They just can’t say enough good about it and they’re coming back next year.”

The number of vendors and show trucks involved in the event – put on by the local Lions Club – were also up from the previous year, according to show organizers.

With scarcely a cloud the in sky all weekend, nearly 90 trucks sat gleaming in the fairground grass as part of the show and shine competition.

The number of entrants was up from 55 the year before, with trucks driving in from as far as Western Ontario and Quebec to participate.

The top three finishers in each category were presented with trophies during a mid-day ceremony on the last day of the show.

Also receiving awards at the ceremony were the winners of the First Canadian Big Rig Build-Off. The competition actually got underway Jan. 1 when eight trucks were selected to be customized by different teams. Taking home the coveted People’s Choice award were Frank Perkins and Lee Howard of Inferno Kustom Werks, who received a “nearly unanimous” vote from show attendees, according to organizers. The duo was presented with a “Troscar” – the show equivalent of an Academy Award, as the trophy resembles an Oscar statuette holding a truck.

The award was designed by Hoselton Sculptures, who have since signed on to sponsor the show for yet another year.

“We’re a community-minded company and we believe in what the Lions Club (members) are doing here,” said Jan Hoselton of the Colborne, Ont.-based company.

In keeping with the educational theme of the show, other features included the First Eastern Canada Circle Check, designed to keep truckers and the public aware of basic safety procedures; a pit-crew challenge for trucking maintenance crews to show their stuff; and also the much-talked about opportunity for “Joe Public” to get behind the wheel of a big rig.

A driving instructor from Transport Safety and Compliance Systems Training Academy was available to teach licensed four-wheelers how to slip shift in a big rig (within a closed track of course), and even this reporter was able to get in on the action.

“People have come away (from this event) with smiles on their faces,” Potts said. “They’re amazed at how big (trucks) are and they have a totally different respect for truck drivers.”

With plans for next year’s show already kicking into high gear, Potts says he and the rest of the Lions Club crew are set to outdo themselves once again. For more information on this year’s show visit www.truckshowandshine.com.