AYR, Ont. – If you were looking for barbeque, cheap oil changes and education about lubricants, Ayr, Ontario was the place to be on Friday.

Quick Truck Lube is hosting its 9th annual customer appreciation day at its Industrial Road facility, which is located at the intersection of Highways 97 and the 401 (exit 268). It’s the second time this year the company has welcomed customers and suppliers out for the day, as Quick Truck Lube held its first Fort Erie, Ontario customer appreciation day in June.

Attendance at the event was strong.

“So far so good,” says Quick Truck Lube president Gurjinder Johal. “Every year it’s growing, growing, growing. The weather helps, especially after a long winter, everybody is tired.”

He says that ever since the Quick Truck Lube was launched he has owed its success to its customers, so the annual barbeque is a way of saying thank you to them, but it’s also a little bit more than it. Johal also looks on it as an opportunity to provide a bit of service to the industry, first by offering discounted oil changes (for $99) but mainly by giving people a chance to learn more about lubricants.

“I feel people really need education. There is so much confusion about oils and filter, and there is no education for people in this industry,” says Johal. “Everybody thinks oil changes are a simple and easy job, but that’s not the case. Without the right oil and filter, engine life can be shortened. If the appropriate filter and oil aren’t used, you aren’t maximizing your fuel economy.”

That’s why he invites representatives from oil and filter companies to be on hand and set up displays, so they are available to answer questions directly from customers.

“Also, having everybody together allows them to say thank you to all our customers.”