FALCONER, N.Y. — An Ontario trucker has taken top honours in the 2005 Truck-Lite Trophy awards for the best show trucks.

The series consists of truck shows throughout North America and involves judging over a number of events. Pierre Cinq-Mars of Iron Bridge, Ont. came out on top this year with Bo Trout and Neil Finegan Jr. (both of Michigan) rounding out the top three.

Judging day was Nov. 12 with the trophy being awarded Nov. 13 at Meca Truck Chrome and Accessories in Medley, Fla.

Cinq-Mars won the event with his red 2002 Western Star. He was joined at the shows by wife Kerry Lee and sons Matthew and Mitchell. Cinq-Mars hauls wood products and industrial equipment for Muskoka Transport out of Bracebridge, Ont. His rig is adorned with 313 Truck-Lite lamps and it has a mural of a maple leaf on the hood and a Canadian lynx on each side. The truck is named Maple Leaf Pride, and it was featured on the cover of Truck News earlier this year.

Cinq-Mars has been trucking full-time since 1991 and has been entering his truck into shows for three years.

“I always wanted a show truck,” he said. “I did it a little at a time. I met (former Truck-Lite Trophy winner) Bob Brinker and he encouraged me.”

Asked what he liked best about show truck competitions, Pierre said, “As long as there are people around to look at the trucks, it’s all worthwhile. We’ve also made many new friends. Now we hang around with people we didn’t even know at the beginning of the year, people we just read about in the magazines. I guess now we’re one of those people.”