Trailcon’s Al Boughton wins Service to Industry Award

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TORONTO, Ont. — Trailcon Leasing CEO and 35-year trucking industry veteran Al Boughton has won the Shaw Tracking-OTA Service to Industry Award for 2012. Boughton is the first OTA Allied Trades member to win the prestigious award. The presentation was made at the 86th annual OTA convention in Toronto on Friday.

“There is no higher honour that can be bestowed upon a member of the trucking industry and I am delighted that this year’s recipient is a fellow allied trades member,” said Shaw Tracking vice-president Mike Ham, who presented the award.

Boughton started out under the wing of the late, George Hendrie, who in addition to being CEO of one of Ontario’s leading trucking companies at the time (and a previous Service to Industry award recipient himself) also owned the trailer leasing business Boughton worked for. With Hendrie as his mentor, Boughton rose to become the president of the company. In 1992, Boughton struck out on his own to start Trailcon Leasing. With Boughton initially working as the company’s sole employee, Trailcon now boasts more than 100 employees at its locations in Ontario and Alberta and 6,000 pieces of equipment.

“Al’s personal integrity and his work ethic are his calling cards,” says Wilson Truck Lines chairman Jim Wilson, a close friend who helped Boughton launch Trailcon. “He clearly has passion in his field and he has passion toward the industry in general. And the level of passion and commitment has certainly gained him respect in the industry and has won him a lot of friends as well.”

Boughton has always played an active role in OTA, serving on the Allied Trades board of directors since 1981. While serving as the division’s chairman, he was the first Allied Trades member to be appointed to the association’s executive. Boughton has also served as chairman of the OTA Allied Trades golf tournaments and the lent his support and ideas over the years to the OTA convention.

As Trailcon grew to become a national service provider, Boughton became involved in the Canadian Trucking Alliance and was the first member of CTA’s Team Canada Elite – a dedicated group of industry suppliers who lend support to the industry’s national lobby effort.

“Al Boughton’s contribution to the trucking associations has been enormous,” says OTA president, David Bradley. “He wears his love of the industry on his sleeve; his commitment and drive is infectious.”

Over the years, Boughton has also served as chairman of the transportation and airport committees of the Mississauga Board of Trade and continues to be actively involved in the Toronto Transportation Club and the Intermodal Association of North America.

Boughton is also dedicated to his community and supports many charitable causes including the Trillium Hospital, the Canadian Cancer Society, Victim Services of Peel, and many others. A proud Canadian, Boughton is also involved with several veterans issues and has made it a point to visit many of the Canadian battlefields from the two world wars.

Boughton and his wife of 36 years, Wendy, live in Caledon, and have and two daughters, Stacy and Sarah.

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