New Board Of Directors
Committee Appointments
Wireless Dispatch
E-Mail Release Reminder
Directory Update
Communication Awards
Lifetime Achievement Award
MATS Meeting Notes
Financial Report
Director's Messages
Kolman's Korner
The Lighter Side
New Board Of Directors
For those who missed their introduction at the MATS meeting,
the directors for the current term are as follows:
Canada/Europe Press
- Eric Berard
Northeast Press - Bette Garber*
Southeast Press - Dan Barnhill*
Midwest Press - Denise Rondini*
West Press - Tom Berg*
Agency PR - Roxane (Campbell) Rose*
Supplier PR - Don Alles
OEM PR - Derek Smith
ORG/Other - Harvey Brodsky
Denise Rondini was
elected by her fellow directors to be the Board Chairperson
for the current term. Those directors listed with an asterisk
after their name will serve a three-year term, instead of the
normal two-year term, to enable offset terms for future elections
in which only half of the board is up for election at any time.
This is designed to ensure continuity of management.
By now, each renewing
TWNA member should have been contacted by the director representing
their industry segment. Please keep in touch with your segment's
director to make your voice heard in TWNA matters.
Committee Appointments
Committees to handle various TWNA projects have been established
and directors have been appointed to co-chair these committees
as follows:
Tech Award - Eric
Berard & Tom Berg
Bylaws - Bette Garber, Roxane Rose & Tom Kelley
Membership - Dan Barnhill & Don Alles
Media Watchdog - Denise Rondini & Harvey Brodsky
Education - Tom Berg, Derek Smith & Tom Kelley
Wireless Dispatch Announcement
After a four-year run with e-mail delivery, this will be the
last issue of the Dispatch sent out for general distribution
via e-mail. Beginning with the next issue, we're going "wireless,"
or in old-fashioned terminology, back to paper and snail-mail.
We will, however, continue to post and archive every issue on
the website.
As the use and abuse
of e-mail has grown over the last several months, it has evolved
from a useful tool into, in many cases, an overwhelming burden.
While the medium still has value for time-sensitive distributions
such as press releases or daily/weekly publication cycles, using
e-mail for something as infrequently distributed as the Dispatch
is far more of a burden than a benefit for both the recipient
and the publisher.
If, at some point,
the internet technology industry decides to properly address
the virus, spam and spoofing issues which have made e-mail so
problematic in the recent past, we will certainly reconsider
e-mail as a distribution method for the Dispatch.
And Speaking Of E-Mailed Press Releases
In spite of extensive guidelines posted on the TWNA website,
and numerous reminders from those of us on the press side of
the business, many (too many) press releases are still being
sent out in the MS Word .doc format, with nothing at all descriptive
of the release topic included in the e-mail subject line.
On top of being needlessly
burdensome to those in the press who are receiving these releases,
using the .doc format, and/or not providing the release topic
in the e-mail subject line, will likely guarantee that the release
finds itself on an express trip to the recycle bin.
One recent 185-word
release was sent out as a 2,237KB .doc file, with an embedded
photograph that even if it had been in focus, couldn't be extracted
for use in any publication. That same release, if properly formatted
as an ascii-text ( .txt ) file, with a web-link provided for
downloading a useable image, would only take up 1.19KB of bandwidth
and storage, more than 1,000 times smaller than the improperly
formatted file.
Even though high-speed
connections are widely available today, there are many members
of the truck industry press who live or work in areas not served
by high-speed internet service, and virtually all of the press
are frequently on the road relying on incredibly slow connections
in hotel rooms.
This means that the
2,237KB file that may have "flown" out of the sender's
computer on the corporate network, ends up "slooowwly craaawwwling"
into the recipient's computer over the course of 10-15 minutes,
while the per-minute connection charges continue to mount.
On top of that, most
e-mail accounts have a finite limit of inbox space, generally
about 10MB, of which our aforementioned sender claimed 22% for
a release that should have taken less than 0.02%, likely causing
the recipient's other incoming mail to bounce.
There are no valid
reasons for formatting an electronically-distributed release
in the MS Word .doc format. Using the .doc format causes numerous
problems.
So yet again, we
ask that anybody sending releases via e-mail PLEASE take the
extra minute or so required to save the file as "Plain
Text," then copy and paste that text into the body of the
e-mail, use the topic of the release as the e-mail subject line,
and provide direct web-address links from which any related
print-resolution images can be downloaded.
Directory Update
Now that we have the majority of the 2004 renewals received,
we'll begin assembling the next TWNA membership directory. As
with last year, we are encouraging any company marketing products
to the trucking industry to purchase a display ad in the directory
to list their media contact information and help support TWNA.
Display advertising
space will be sold at the rate of $400 per full page. Page position
is first come, first served. The deadline for submitting advertising
materials for the directory will be June 30, 2004.
To advertise in the
directory, please contact us ASAP at (704) 599-0570, or admin@twna.org
via e-mail
For those companies
who would prefer to have their ad created by the directory's
production staff, creative services are billed at the rate of
$100/hour. A typical one-page ad containing a company logo and
a listing of media contact information can usually be created
in about two hours. All we need is a clean copy of your logo
file(s) in an acceptable file format (.ai, .eps, .tif, .pdf,
or large hi-res .jpg) and a text file of the copy you'd like
to include in the ad.
If you'd like to
create your ad in-house or have your existing agency create
the ad, the specs are as follows:
PDF files ONLY
All fonts must be embedded or converted to outlines
Un-check any "downsampling" options
Un-check all security options (file should be editable and
placeable)
Continuous tone images should be 250-300 dpi at the printed
size
Line art should be 600-1,200 dpi at the printed size
Do not use ZIP or Stuffit (properly formatted ads rarely exceed
3MB)
No bleeds; borders/rules are to be kept within the live area
of the ad
Printing will be black & white, colors should be flattened
to grayscale
Ad file dimensions should match the live area of the ad, not
the page size
Printer's marks should not be applied to the file
Live area of full page ad is 4.6"w x 7.6"h
Remember,
the deadline for advertising materials for the directory will
be June 30, 2004.
Communication Awards
Even though the presentation ceremony went just a bit long,
TWNA's first-ever Communication Awards were a great success.
Several of our industry's best and most creative communicators
were honored with a total of 26 Category Awards, three Best
of Division Awards, with Chuck Miller of Road King Magazine
taking home the award for Best of 2003. A complete list of the
winning entries is included below.
Based on the first
year's success, the Communication Awards program will be continued
for 2004. The entry deadline for the 2004 award program will
be December 1, 2004. The entries must be produced for first
use/distribution between 12/1/03 and 10/31/04. Winning entries
will be announced at the TWNA Industry Awards Banquet at the
2005 Mid-America Trucking Show.
Although there will
be some changes and refinements to the rules and entry categories
for 2004, prospective entrants may find it helpful to review
the 2003 entry form, available as a downloadable PDF file found
at www.twna.org/03comm-awards.pdf
on the web.
TWNA's 2003 Communication Award Winners
Category Awards
Wi-Fi Wise - Bill Hudgins - Land Line - Bronze
Don't Be So Defensive - Avery Vise - Commercial Carrier Journal
- Bronze
A/C Failure Prevention - The Siefkes Group - Fleet Maintenance
Guest Editorial - Bronze
Surviving the Holidays - Parthenon Publishing - Road King -
Bronze
Let it Snow-Dulles Airport is Ready - The Siefkes Group - Public
Works - Bronze
Thick with Thieves - Truckers News Staff - Truckers News - Bronze
Three Chords and the Truth - Parthenon Publishing - Road King
- Bronze
Hive Drive - Truckers News Staff - Truckers News - Bronze
DriveTrain Plus Graphic - ArvinMeritor - Bronze
Complete Braking Systems Graphic - ArvinMeritor & Meritor
WABCO - Bronze
The New Evolution of Modules and Systems - ArvinMeritor - Bronze
Hospitality Event Invitation - Jeff Blakemore - American Graphics
Group - Bronze
Viewpoint II 2003-2006 - The Evolution in Systems Integration
- ArvinMeritor - Bronze
Road King 2004 Media Kit - Parthenon Publishing - Road King
- Bronze
Every Move You Make - Bill Hudgins - Land Line - Silver
Overdrive - September 2003 - Overdrive Staff - Overdrive - Silver
Transportation Trends & Outlooks Newsletter - The Siefkes
Group - Paccar Leasing - Silver
Custom Semi-Trucks - Bette S. Garber - Published By MBI - Gold
Ghosts of Nameplates Past - Tom Kelley - Land Line - Gold
Amperes et contre tous - Eric Berard - L' Echo du transport
- Gold
Double Vision - Parthenon Publishing - Road King - Gold
Beware the Dragon - Mark Reddig - Land Line - Gold
Buckin' & Truckin' - Parthenon Publishing - Road King -
Gold
Convoy Rides Again - Parthenon Publishing - Road King - Gold
Product Complexity - Truck Parts & Service - Gold
Vehicle Diagnostic Scanner Brochure - Eaton Corporation - Gold
Best
of Division Awards
Books - Custom Semi-Trucks - Bette S. Garber - Published By
MBI
Magazines - Convoy Rides Again - By Chuck Miller - Road King
Magazine - Parthenon Publishing
Marketing/Public Relations - Vehicle Diagnostic Scanner Brochure
- Eaton Corporation
Best
of 2003 Award
Convoy Rides Again - By Chuck Miller - Road King Magazine -
Parthenon Publishing
Congratulations
to all of 2003's winners!
Lifetime Achievement Award
As part of 2004 Industry Awards Banquet held at MATS, industry
veteran Bob Deierlein was honored with TWNA's inaugural Lifetime
Achievement Award.
This prestigious
award recognizes a TWNA member who has made outstanding contributions
to the improvement of communications in the trucking industry
throughout their career.
In addition to excellence
in journalism and service to TWNA, recipients of the Lifetime
Achievement Award should also have a record of working with
other industry organizations, sharing their knowledge, skills,
contacts and resources for the general improvement of industry
communications.
Communicators from
both the public relations/marketing and press sides of the industry
are eligible for consideration for the award. Nominations are
peer-generated, and the selection is made by a committee of
TWNA directors and members.
Well-known throughout
the trucking industry, Bob's journalism career spans across
30 years, with the last 20 years as a freelancer. Throughout
this period, Bob's tech-savvy reports have appeared in most
of the industry's top publications. He gained his first-hand
knowledge as an expert on maintenance topics with a 22-year
stint at Associated Transport, culminating with the post of
Maintenance/Purchasing Vice President.
In addition to his
journalism career, Bob has also been quite active in many industry
associations including TWNA, ATA's Technology & Maintenance
Council, and the Society of Automotive Engineers.
A Marine Corps veteran,
Bob's love of cigars and sometimes gruff nature have become
welcome fixtures, appreciated by both friends and colleagues
as part of his endearing character. With his grown offspring
now scattered about the country, Bob remains a dedicated family
man.
When TWNA's Board
of Directors decided to create the Lifetime Achievement Award,
the selection of its first recipient was easily unanimous. Without
question, Bob Deierlein's professional and personal achievements
exemplify the attributes honored by the award.
Special recognition
must also be given to Peterbilt, not only for being the Presenting
Sponsor of the Lifetime Achievement Award, but also for being
the first to support the Industry Awards Banquet. It's quite
fitting that an award recognizing communicators who take the
initiative is presented by a company with the same beliefs.
Tom Deierlein Accepts Lifetime Award For Bob
As Bob was unable to be present at the Industry Awards Banquet,
his son Tom was there to accept on his behalf. Printed here
for your entertainment are Tom's remarks, including the untold
truth about Bob.
Thank you. My father
is very honored to have received this award from his peers.
I would like to thank
the TWNA, the Board of Directors, David Kohlman and a special
thanks to Tom Kelley for working so hard to make this possible.
I would especially like to thank Peterbilt for this award and
for being the sponsor this inaugural year. Thank you Peterbilt.
As David mentioned,
my parents recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.
Their nine children, my eight brothers and sisters and I threw
them a party. There my father announced that looking back upon
his life he felt he had a good life, a good life that could
have been great except he had nine BIG problems. He then said
he actually grew to love 2 or 3 of those problems. Well, given
that I am not one of those chosen few I am here to expose the
truth.
He has you all fooled,
he is a fraud, and this man does not deserve a lifetime achievement
award at all. To me a person who deserves a Lifetime Achievement
Award is dedicated to their work, ethical, and intelligent.
He is none of those. Robert J. Deierlein is not at all dedicated
to his work, is extremely unethical, and has suffered from brain
damage for over 50 years.
Dedicated? Would
a man dedicated to his work leave on time everyday so he could
sit and have dinner with his family? No. Would a man dedicated
to work help his kids every night with their homework instead
of researching and writing his next great article? No. If a
man was dedicated to his work he wouldn't have all this free
time to be at all the school plays, athletic events and life
events. I checked with my brothers and sisters and my mom and
dad were there for all our major life events. This man was not
at all dedicated to his work.
Ethics? The man is
a liar! He lied to his own children. Here is an example: "C'mon
Tom let's go the backyard and rake some leaves - it will take
only 10 minutes." or "C'mon Kitty, Tom, Billy, let's
go and straighten up a few things in the garage - it will only
take 20 minutes". Thanks to my father I couldn't tell time
until the 12th grade. He also traumatized us as children. I
had to hide from my father 2 or 3 days each month. When the
end of the month bills came my father would say to my mother
"Let's just dump a few of the ugly ones into the street
somewhere". Given that it was universally known that I
was the ugliest of the bunch, I figured out of sight out of
mind.
Also in terms of
ethics I heard some teasing on that tape about misuse of TWNA
moneys. That couldn't be true, and if it is, we never saw a
penny. My father is the only guy I know who would go to the
orthodontist's office when his kids' braces were coming off
and insist that the doctor place those same brackets and wire
on his next kid in line to save a dollar. I am not saying he
watched every penny, but when I sat down with him after graduating
college to review any debts I had accrued, I saw a ledger entry
from June 6th, 1975 for .25 cents. I was only in the second
grade in 1975. Though I can't say he wasn't fair, he only charged
me 5% interest compounded monthly.
As far as the brain
damage, that comes as no surprise to most of you. The Marines
did it to him so maybe it was more like brain washing. Two weeks
before I graduated from West Point I walked in the door to drop
off some personal belongings. My father greeted me at the door
with a "Hey there lieutenant!". I said "Two things.
First let's not count our chickens before they hatch, my final
grades aren't in and second, you were enlisted, I'll be an officer,
we'll start with `sir' and work our way from there." He
didn't blink - he looked me dead in the eye and said "Son,
in the Marines they taught us that a corporal in the Marines
was the equivalent of a Captain in the Army, so you are right,
we'll start with `sir' and work our way from there." Fourteen
months later, when I had completed the very rigorous Airborne
Ranger Course making me one of the elite soldiers in the entire
US Armed Forces and arguably in the world, I went home to present
the Ranger tab to my father. All he said is "Yeah son,
that's very cute, after 2 or 3 more training programs like that
one you might, just might be ready for Marine Corps Boot Camp."
Also in terms of
brain damage he once claimed he had an interview with GOD down
in New Jersey. Okay, okay this last one was true - but it was
with Guaranteed Overnight Delivery.
Actually, it wasn't
so bad growing up with a father who was a writer in the trucking
industry.
For example, I wasn't
the first in my class to go to Disneyland, but I was the first
to attend an actual Truck Show. Our father gave us specific
instructions, "Be extra loud, stay extra long, and take
lot's of stuff - they just love kids at the booths in truck
shows." I wasn't the first kid in my class to have a pocket
fisherman, but I was the first to have Peterbilt pocketknife.
I wanted to bring it tonight but US Air and LaGuardia security
weren't keen on the idea. I wasn't first kid to sneak a cigarette,
but I was the first to have my very own Mack Truck ashtray.
All my grammar school
friends went on fancy vacations, not us. For example, my friend
went to see the site of the Tea Party in Boston Massachusetts,
we were the only ones to go to Swampscot Massachusetts. While
my friends went to see the Liberty Bell in Pennsylvania, we
went to Blue Bell Pennsylvania. One summer my cousin went to
see the horse racing in upstate New York, well we went to small
town called Horsehead in upstate New York.
Seriously, every
character trait I learned from my parents:
Commitment to excellence
Ethics and integrity
Pride
Self discipline
Selfless service
Most importantly, Family
Stephen Covey wrote
a perennial best seller called 7 Habits of Highly Effective
People about establishing a good work and life balance. It could
just as easily been called The Life and Times of Robert J. Deierlein.
My parents were a great team; my father gave all of us the ambition,
drive and discipline, our mother gave us care, support, and
instilled self-esteem to make us believe we could do anything.
My father says this
is actually the tenth lifetime achievement award he has received.
The other nine are called: Mary, Charlie, Bobby, Rita, Susie,
Jeanne, Kitty, Tom, and Billy.
Thanks again for
this phenomenal award.
And Of Course, A Few Words From Bob
I want to sincerely thank the members of the TWNA for the Lifetime
Achievment Award presented to me. It's a cool award, a dark
marble base with a crystal truck on it. I'm sorry I wasn't there
to accept the award, (but just as well, being a very sensitive
guy I would have burst into tears.)
My wife Kitty and
my son, Tom, did go to Louisville to accept the award. (I'm
suing my son because of his nasty portrayal of me.)
Actually, I was very
surprised to receive it from the group...I didn't think most
of the members liked me:
* Many guys kept
telling me "I have to meet your wife, she must be a saint
to live with the likes of you". Cruel!
* Continually telling
me I had an "intemperate disposition". Cold! (The
TMC guys called me Smiley, more like it.)
* Questioning me
about my family vacations, and whether the funds came from the
TWNA Treasury. (I put those insinuations to rest when I turned
over to President Kolman $272,450 when I resigned.)
* Not one TWNA member
supported my "Adopt a Deierlein Kid for Christmas".
You could pick a boy or girl of any age, send a small present
and in return get a picture of the kid with your present. And
I, like a dummy, several years later offered my "Adopt
a Deierlein Bride" program when I had a string of girls
getting married. Nothing, nada, zilch.
But, I digress. David
Kolman came to my house and surprised me with the award. He
handled it quite well, even to telling me no, courteously, when
I asked whether there was any money or cigars that came with
the award. Then, he reverted to character and refused my suggestion
that "maybe the guys would like me to read a couple of
my articles" during the video.
Finally kudos to
Tom Berg our first president, Tom Gelinas, our long-serving
El Presidente David Kolman, and Dave Williams (wherever you
are) all founding members with me who were at the momentous
meeting establishing this TWNA in 1988, November I believe.
Again, thank you very much!
MATS TWNA Meeting Roundup
For those of you who were not at the March TWNA meeting held
at MATS, Board Chairperson Denise Rondini passes along this
recap of what was discussed.
The gavel was passed
from outgoing TWNA President Rolf Lockwood to incoming TWNA
chairwomen Denise Rondini. The title change reflects a restructuring
of the board. Tom Kelley gave a financial report. Details appear
elsewhere in this newsletter.
We had some discussion
about holding another media seminar at the Great America Truck
Show. Last year's was well received and the consensus seemed
to be that we should do it again. Please let me know if you
have any ideas for subjects that should be covered.
The subject of TWNA
scholarships came up again. Most members believe we should fund
some type of scholarship or work on developing an publicity
campaign about careers that are available in the trucking industry.
The board will continue to pursue this area.
Because of the addition
of the TWNA Banquet on Thursday night, we discussed moving the
day and time of the regular TWNA meeting. Friday was given as
the original suggestion but many TWNA members indicated they
leave Louisville early in the day on Friday. Wednesday was suggested
as an alternative. The board needs to talk to show management
about day and time availability before making a decision on
rescheduling the meeting.
The subject of dues
was once again brought up. Some members expressed concern about
a tiered dues structure for associate members. There was some
confusion about what the dues structure actually is. Just for
clarification, here are the dues amounts for the various types
of membership:
Press
Dues - $40.
Dues
for PR, Marketing & Other Non-Press Members are as follows:
Associate
Individual
(Non-Business - i.e. Gov't, Retired,
Non-Profit) - $55
Associate Business
(This Applies To Most Associate
Members) - $105
Corporate
Dues (Press or Associate - Covers Entire Staff) - $505
All amounts are in
US Dollars, and there is a $5 discount from all amounts for
payments made by cash or check.
TWNA Financial Report
As of 3/25/04, TWNA's financial report was as follows:
Treasury
Balance Transferred 6/03 +10227.80
Other 2003 Dues Rec'd +315.00
Accounts Payable -3500.00
Net
Treasury (6/03) 7042.80
2004
Dues (paid through 3/25/04) +5910.00
Directory Revenues +1894.72
Gift Contributions +120.00
Total
Revenues +7924.72
Operating
Expenses -5074.00
Get Well/Condolence Gifts -325.00
Accounts Payable -3500.00
Total
Expenses -8899.00
Net
Treasury (3/25/04) 6068.52
These amounts do
not reflect any accounts receivable or payable for the awards
banquet. Some of the banquet receivables are still outstanding
as of 5/20/04. Also not reflected in this report are expenses
already approved by the Board and committed for the purpose
of membership retention and development programs.
Tech Award Committee Report
Tech Award Co-Chairman Eric Berard passes along the following
report:
Bonjour to you all,
I am glad to tell you that the Technical Achievement Award committee
is already working on next year's presentation.
So far, the committee
has four members: Tom Berg and yours truly acting as co-chairmen,
while Rolf Lockwood and Paul Abelson have already signed-up
to help on the committee. Fresh troops are always welcome and
you are strongly encouraged to contribute to the committee,
no matter how much or how little time you have. The key here
is to diversify as much as possible the perceptions as to what
should constitute the year's best Technical Achievement. So,
the more people from the more regions we can hear from, the
better it is.
You might also be
interested to know that we are currently looking at a new formula
where, instead of naming just one winner, we could announce
our short list and make it some kind of a "Top Five".
The 5 companies would know they are nominees but only at the
award presentation would the top winner be announced. Each year
the committee has to choose between a number of very worthy
products but has to pick only one winner. With the "Top
Five" formula, at least the merits of those getting close
to winning would be publicly acknowledged.
Please let us know
about your availability to assist the committee between now
and the time for selecting the award nominees, and/or participate
in voting for the awards when that time comes. Also, feedback
about the "Top Five" formula would definitely be appreciated.
You can contact Tom
Berg or myself regarding any Technical Achievement Award questions
or suggestions.
Directors' Messages
Eric Berard
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself as
a member of TWNA's board of directors, representing Canada and
Europe. I look forward to hearing from the members of that vast
region. Let TWNA know about your actions in the community, and
good (or not so good) articles or reports about
the trucking industry in your area. Even a little gossip, why
not? Promotion? Change in your editorial team? Wedding? Awards?
If it's about trucking
and if it takes place in Canada or Europe, I would like to know
about it. And if I can be of any help, I will do my best to
assist. Send info and/or requests to: eberard@bomartgroup.com
Kolman's Korner
By former TWNA President David A. Kolman
Reflections on MATS
2004
It was a true honor
and privilege to be invited to serve as the master of ceremonies
for TWNA's first Trucking Industry Awards Banquet. I sincerely
thank Tom Kelley and TWNA for the opportunity.
And I must say, for
those who did not attend the event, you missed quite an evening.
It was full of fun and emotion.
Tom must be complimented
on the magnificent job he did in creating, organizing and running
the banquet.
It was - dare I see
it - very much fun to be able to walk the many halls of the
ever-growing MATS and visit with industry friends without any
time constraints or commitments. That was something I never
could do when I was a truck trade magazine journalist, scurrying
from one event to another and then another and another.
By taking my good
old time, I managed to cover lots of territory, even with my
still-fractured right leg. Although I did have to ice the leg
down each night to get it back to a more normal shape.
My time at MATS made
me realize just how much I miss "the business." I
would love to get back into it in one way or another (hint,
hint).
Of all my involvement
with the banquet, the best experience for me, and the one that
I will cherish most, was the honor of surprising well-known
truck industry freelance writer Bob Deierlein at his home with
the TWNA's inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award.
With the help of
Bob' wife Kitty, my wife Alice and I drove up to Bob's house
and were secreted inside. No easy task, I assure you, since
his office - with its very large window - faces his small, quiet
street.
Bob was at his desk,
being kept busy playing with a grandson Teddy, who was being
videotaped by his mom, Jeanne - one of Bob's daughters. The
videotaping was done under the guise of Jeanne wanting to make
sure she knew how to work the video camera she just got. (Clever
way to have a video camera rolling to capture the award presentation,
huh?)
When Bob spotted
Alice and I as we walked into his office, he fell silent (which
was worth the nearly five hour drive by itself), astonished
at our presence. I can't recall when I have ever seen Bob at
a loss for words.
After what seemed
like several minutes, with Bob still staring at us trying to
figure out why we were there and "all dressed up,"
I broke the silence by saying: "Bob, remember you once
told me that if I was ever in your neighborhood I should drop
by?" Still no response from Bob. "Well," I announced.
"Here I am."
It was then that
the curmudgeonly Bob many of us know (and love) returned. "I
never meant it," he remarked loudly.
After we all visited
some, I told Bob why Alice and I had made trip: to present him
with the first TWNA Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing
him for his outstanding contributions the improvement of communications
in the trucking industry and for his record of working with
other industry organizations, sharing his knowledge, skills,
contacts and resources for the general improvement of industry
communications.
Right on queue, Bob's
son Bill came in with the one-of-a-kind award - a large glass
sculpture of a tractor trailer.
Bob was clearly touched
by the award, but quickly "recovered" and fell back
into character. "You misspelled my name," he said.
And, referring to the videotaping, instructed his daughter:
"Make sure you don't show my computer. I'll be drummed
out of the Luddities."
We have the computer,
as well as the entire presentation, on video.
Following the official
ceremony, Kitty broke out the champagne, shrimp and caviar,
in celebration of Bob's latest honor. A number of Bob's family
members joined in for the occasion.
Alice and I then
took Bob and Kitty out to dinner to celebrate. It was a most
fun occasion, and a true treat to spend some quality time with
the two of them.
I know Bob will kill
me when he sees or hears about what I am about to say, but Bob
really is a truly warm, caring and fun guy . . . at times, that
is. And I can think of no one who is more deserving of the TWNA's
inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award.
-- David A. Kolman
TWNA President Emeritus
The answers to last
issue's trivia quiz:
1. What city has
the distinction of being the first in the U.S. to use centerlines
on its roadways and the first to use stop signs as a way to
reduce traffic problems? Detroit, MI. Bonus question: When were
these innovations? Center lines in 1911; stop sign in 1914.
2. In what year was
the first Peterbilt truck produced: 1939. How many were built:
14.
3. When and how did
the Teamsters Union begin? The International Brotherhood of
Teamsters was founded in 1903 when the Team Drivers International
Union - formed in 1899 - united with the Teamsters National
Union - formed in 1902.
4. Who is credited
with developing the first semi-trailer rig, and when did he
do it? In 1915, blacksmith August Fruehauf noticed that the
horses he shoed were healthier if they pulled their loads rather
than carried them on their backs. He reasoned the same principle
could be applied to trucks, so he began building trailers for
trucks to pull. His first one was for an adapted Model T Ford.
August went on to establish the Fruehauf Corporation.
5. When was the federally
mandated 55-mph speed limit created: 1974 Bonus question: Why?
Because of the Arab oil embargo (was in retaliation for U.S.
support of Israel in the Yom Kippur war.)
The Lighter Side Of . . . The Internet
Nine Warning Signs
That You're Spending Way Too Much Time Online
1. You
try to enter a password on a microwave.
2. You chat several times a day with a stranger in Tokyo,
but haven't spoken with your brother or sister in recent memory.
3. You get up in the morning and go online before breakfast.
4. You pull into your own driveway and use a cell phone to
see if anyone is home.
5. The concept of using paper money, instead of a credit or
debit card, is foreign to you.
6. The reason you give for not staying in touch with parents
is that mom and dad don't have e-mail addresses.
7. You hear most jokes via e-mail instead of in person.
8. You wake up at 2 a.m. to go to the bathroom and check your
e-mail on your way back to bed.
9. You start tilting your head sideways to smile.
