PARIS, Ont. — While good paying loads are hard to come by these days, about 75 trucks departed the Paris Fairgrounds in Paris, Ont. on Saturday, Sept. 20 — each running for an average of about $9.50 a mile.

Organizers of the Southern Ontario chapter of the World’s Largest Truck Convoy for Special Olympics turned over proceeds of $50,000 to Special Olympics Ontario on behalf of those 75 drivers, who were bound for Putnam, Ont. before returning to Paris.

Not bad for a few hours work that takes nearly a year to plan.

MacKinnon Transport’s Brian Hilton topped this year’s earners list
That earned him

The high-revenue earners for the day were Brian Hilton of MacKinnon Transport and Doug Fisher of Transport ‘N Service. Between them, the pair managed to solicit contributions and sponsorship pledges for Special Olympics totaling more than $22,000, making their per-mile contributions worth about $152 per mile.

As in previous years, the top 12 money earners from the Convoy team up in a friendly game of slo-pitch softball against a local Special Olympics ball team. This year it was the Kitchener/Waterloo Sluggers, an A-level bunch that made pretty quick work of the hapless truckers, who called themselves "Hell on Wheels." The game was officiated by OBAC’s Joanne Ritchie behind home plate, and MTO officers Carolyn and Steve Ferlatte on first and third base.

The game ran a mere five innings. The Sluggers knocked in 16 runs while Hell on Wheels managed only four.

This year’s roster of 75 trucks was down from previous years counts of 100-plus trucks. Organizers say the decline was due partly to the high cost of fuel and difficult economic climate. The total turned over to Special Olympics was down as well, from last year’s $65,000.

Next year’s event will take place on Sept. 19 at the Paris Fairgrounds, and while its still a year off, you can bet that Brian Hilton is already hustling for contributions.

"I first got involved in this four years ago," says Hilton. "I’ll keep doing it as long as there’s a Special Olympics Convoy. It’s something that comes straight from my heart."

This year’s ten top contributors were as follows:

Brian Hilton of MacKinnon Transport; $10,692; Doug Fisher of Transport ‘N Service; $10,513; Stephane Gautier of J.R. Menard; $2,869; Dale Hadland of International Freight Systems; $2,135 Rob Gavin of Gavin Transport; $1,421; Jim & Judie Van Dusen of Arnold Bros. Transport; $1,380; Edith S. Hooper of Heritage Truck Lines; $1,007; Steve Smith of S&P Carriers Ltd.; $910; Shawn Toman of Schneider National; $785; Dave Donnelly of Flochem Ltd.; $743.