by René Tankersley, feature editor

In spite of the rain, On Time Media couldn’t have been more pleased with the results of its Expedite Expo 2001, according to Lawrence McCord, president and CEO of On Time Media, the organizers of the expediting trade show held Aug. 22, at the Detroiter Truck Stop in Woodhaven, MI. The exposition had more than 40 exhibitors, including the event’s premiere sponsor Freightliner of Knoxville, TN. Because the show was an open event and did not require a ticket, organizers don’t have attendance figures, according to Jeff Jensen, editor of On Time Media’s Expeditersonline.com. Based on this show’s turnout, McCord expects the Expedite Expo will be an annual event and is already planning next year’s event. OOIDA officer and board member Robert Esler manned a booth for the association, visiting with expediters and signing up new members. Despite the damp weather, Esler says it was a “productive day” for OOIDA. “Expediters are a growing segment of the industry,” Esler added. “There are some pretty sharp guys out there, putting their heart and soul into this. We wanted them to know OOIDA is here to help make their business successful.”

“Our exhibitors report they were very happy with the show,” said McCord, “and we even had a great turnout for the Expediter Pride Truck Beauty Show with over 25 entries in three different categories.” In the Expediter Pride Truck Beauty Show, the top three finishers in each category walked away with a trophy and prizes donated by various sponsors. Two of the winning trucks belong to OOIDA members Joseph and Nancy McBride of Olean, NY, and Arthur Scott of Norwood, MA. The McBrides won first place for their truck’s interior and placed third in the straight truck division. Scott placed second in the cargo van category.