CALGARY, Alta. – Both Truxpo and the Canadian Truck and Heavy Equipment Show have fallen victim to the times and will not be held this year.

The Alberta Motor Transport Association (AMTA) has decided not to host Truxpo this year because there simply wasn’t enough interest, says the association’s director of member services, Peter Vaudry.

“We didn’t have the interest that we needed, so we decided to postpone it this year,” confirms Vaudry.

The B.C. Trucking Association (BCTA) and the AMTA take turns hosting the trade show, which alternates between the two provinces.

Earlier this year there was discussion on the AMTA’s part to move the show to Calgary this fall rather than hosting it in Edmonton, where it took place in 2001.

Last year, Truxpo was held in Abbotsford, B.C., where the show drew a crowd of more than 10,000 people.

BCTA president, Paul Landry, was surprised by the news.

He says the BCTA may examine the possibility of holding Truxpo each year if the AMTA opts not to hold one of its own.

“We might give consideration to having an annual show,” says Landry.

“But I would want to know for starters why it was that the AMTA wasn’t able to put on a show this year.”

Landry says the BCTA has enjoyed “tremendous support from our suppliers” over the last few years, despite the challenges facing the industry.

Vaudry says the AMTA would like to see the other western associations join forces to host one, big Western Canadian truck show. Landry, on the other hand, feels that one big show won’t necessarily be any more successful than four provincial shows.

“These shows are really regional in nature,” says Landry. “We don’t attract a great deal of traffic from Alberta when we have a show.”

He says a more in-depth examination of who attends trade shows may be in order.

“We need to know more about who attends these shows, why they attend them and where they come from,” says Landry.

Meanwhile, The Manitoba Trucking Association (MTA) has announced the Canadian Truck and Heavy Equipment Show will not be held this year as planned.

The show has been postponed due to a lacklustre response, according to a letter sent to exhibitors by MTA general manager Bob Dolyniuk.

The surprise announcement comes just weeks after the cancellation of Truxpo.

“As with any business matters, there comes a time when hard decisions must be made and we believe that we are at that juncture today,” says the letter from Dolyniuk.

“As with our exhibitors, we believe if we are to present a trade show it must be a quality product and to have a quality product of that magnitude takes a critical mass. It is apparent to us that the lack of response is an indication that the support is not in place to develop the required critical mass.”

The MTA planned to incorporate the heavy construction industry into this year’s show, as well as a show and shine and a heavy equipment roadeo.

Bob Senkow, MTA president, says the show will return to Winnipeg in the future.

“The Canadian Truck Show is not dead by any means,” says Senkow.

“We were extremely disapointed that the show had to be cancelled but the exhibitor list didn’t meet our expectations.”

However, Senkow insists the show will return, possibly as soon as next year.

Senkow feels the uncertainty surrounding the economy is to blame for this year’s postponement.

“I think it’s a lot to do with the state of the economy,” he says. “Many carriers and manufacturers don’t know what direction they’re going right now.