WANTED: Officers For 2000-2002 Term

It’s time to start thinking about who you would like to lead the TWNA for the next two years. The election of officers will take place via fax and mail-in ballots early next year. Election results will be announced during TWNA’s annual Mid-America Trucking Show meeting.

Newly-elected officers will begin their terms at the end of that meeting, scheduled for March 23, 2000, from 3-5 p.m. Peterbilt will once again sponsor the meeting.

All officer positions are to be filled: President, Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer, and four Members of the Board of Directors (three Full and one Associate). Officers serve a two-year term.

NOMINATIONS -- Nominations for officers may come from any TWNA member. Only Full Members may serve

as TWNA officers, with the exception of the Associate Board Member position.

Nominations must be done in writing and submitted to TWNA President David A. Kolman by December 6, 1999. A nomination ballot is included with this newsletter.

CANDIDATES -- Nominated candidates must be willing to serve, and must be able to devote the time and effort necessary to perform the specified duties of the office. If you nominate other individuals, please contact them to receive their commitment to serve if nominated and elected. You may nominate yourself.

Candidates must submit a short biography and a brief statement of why they believe they should be elected. This information will be included as part of the election ballot.

OFFICERS’ DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES -- What follows is the minimum duties and responsibilities of each TWNA office:

President: Direct association activities and oversee committees, represent TWNA at appropriate functions, act as association spokesperson, produce bi-monthly newsletter.

Vice President: Assist president with directing association activities and committees, generate appropriate press releases and public relations, help build membership.

Secretary-Treasurer: Direct TWNA's financial matters, maintain TWNA's bank account and books, keep track of membership.

Director #1: Oversee TWNA web site.

Director #2: Chair award/recognition programs and committees.

Director #3: Handle "set-the-record-straight" responses to newspapers, magazines and broadcast news organizations that inaccurately or incorrectly report truck related subjects.

Associate Board Member Director: Represent associate members and their interests, assist with TWNA programs and projects.

HISTORY -- Founded in November 1988, the Truck Writers of North America is an organization of professionals who are involved in generating, gathering, writing and reporting news and information about trucks, trucking and the trucking industry.

Membership is composed of writers, editors, freelance journalists, radio and television reporters, public relations and communications specialists, sales and marketing personnel and others involved in the business of communicating information related to the world of trucking.

The association grew out of a meeting among five editors in the early fall of 1988 in Greensboro, NC. TWNA’s founding fathers were: Tom Berg, Bob Deierlein, Tom Gelinas, David A. Kolman and Doug Williams.

MISSION -- Among TWNA's objectives:

• + Improve the quality of trucking journalism.
• + Continually improve relationships between the truck trade press and manufacturers and suppliers.
• + Serve as an information source and referral service for the non-truck trade media as it reports on the trucking industry.
• + Function as a watchdog over the non-truck trade media and respond to inaccurate, incorrect or biased reporting on trucking industry-related matters.
• + Promote a positive image for the trucking industry.

A little more than 50 people attended TWNA's Great American Trucking Show membership meeting, held Sept. 9, and sponsored by Peterbilt. Among the highlights of that meeting:

+ Secretary-Treasurer Bob Deierlein, freelancer, gave the State of the Association report: 161 members, $3,950.15 in TWNA's savings account.

+ Associate Director D. Mike Pennington of Meritor gave an update on TWNA's scholarship program (see following page).

+ Vice President Rolf Lockwood of Today’s Trucking provided an update on the TWNA's Technical Achievement Award. Said he'll have a nomination form ready for the next newsletter. He's seeking volunteers to serve on the Award committee, which he chairs.

+ Director Paul Abelson of Super Driver lead a heated discussion about whether or not TWNA should produce an "advertisement" to run in certain media to counter anti-trucking ads and stories. It was decided this would not be an appropriate action for the association.

+ Deborah Lockridge of roadStar lead a discussion about developing suggested guidelines for electronic artwork, as proposed by Bill Hudgins of Road King (see July Dispatch, page 6). A committee was formed to further consider the matter. Committee members are needed. Contact Deborah at (205) 989-6467.

+ President Kolman reported on some members' suggestions on how TWNA could use its funds. One idea was to produce TWNA T-shirts. Another was to purchase TWNA-branded cigars. No decision was reached. More ideas are welcomed.

Michelin North America is donating $5,000 to Loved Ones and Drivers Support (LOADS), an international support organization dedicated to truckers, their families and the trucking industry.

As a volunteer organization established in 1992, LOADS offers services to drivers and families -- such as driver education programs, roadside safety awareness, rest area accessibility and weigh station assistance, as well as general promotion of the trucking industry and highway safety. LOADS' missions include on-line Internet support, printed newsletters for members, Operation Kids Christmas, a safe roadside inspection campaign and many more.

Michelin's second-year sponsorship of LOADS furthers the tire maker's commitment to, and support of, the trucking industry. It also is a sponsor of Trucker Buddy and Ol' Blue USA.

Rob Whitehouse is Goodyear's PR Manager, Commercial Tires, North America. He replaced Richard Ellis in June of this year.

Whitehouse had been handling public relations for the renowned Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, before joining Goodyear. He can be reached at (330) 796-8517.

• Lori Bok, assistant editor, Kona Communications, Deerfield, IL.
• Peter Carboneau, publisher/editor, Over the Road, Nepean, Ontario, Canada.
• Craig Fisher, vice president-marketing, Morgan Corporation, Morgantown, PA.
• Greg Sitek, national editor, CMD Group Associates, Norcross, GA.
• Chris Visser, market analyst, National Automobile Dealers Association, McLean, VA.

Founded in November 1988, the Truck Writers of North America is an organization of professionals involved in generating, gathering, writing and reporting news and information about trucks, trucking and the trucking industry. Among TWNA's objectives:

• Improve the quality of trucking journalism.
• Promote a positive image for the trucking industry.
• Continually improve relationships between the truck trade press and manufacturers and suppliers.
• Serve as an information source and referral service for the non-truck trade media as it reports on the trucking industry.
• Function as a watchdog over the non-truck trade media and respond to inaccurate, incorrect or biased reporting on trucking industry-related matters.

Presidents page

It's unfathomable to me that 1999 is about over, and my third consecutive term as your president is drawing to a close.

Elections for officers to serve the 2000-2002 term will be held early next year. That term begins immediately following TWNA's annual Mid-America Trucking Show membership meeting.

As we move into the next century, it is of utmost important that we elect officers who will be dedicated and committed to keeping our association growing and evolving.

We have made real progress over the past 11 years. And I believe there's plenty of opportunities ahead for our association.

Change is the motivator to progress because change offers new opportunities.

To this end, I feel it would best serve our association if we elect a new president.

I am deeply proud of the confidence you have had in me, and I have constantly worked hard to merit it. There is no way to express the extraordinary privilege it is to be president of this great association.

Nevertheless, it is time for a change.

I would ask that you give serious consideration to who should lead TWNA into the next century, not just as your president, but in all leadership positions.

Make the time and effort to nominate candidates for the upcoming

elections. A nomination ballot is included with this newsletter.

Tomorrow is one of the most paramount things in life. Tomorrow comes to us every day at midnight, very clean and perfect. It puts itself in our hands and hopes we’ve learned something from yesterday so we can better cultivate tomorrow.

I hope you will cultivate your tomorrows and those for the TWNA.

Sincerely,

David A. Kolman

John Baxter, Owner Operator, has gotten involved in the Society of Automotive Engineers as treasurer of the Philadelphia Section.

Tom Berg, SuperScribe, writes: "Will youse please note the proper spelling of "youse" (not "yous"). This is vitally important if this is to be emblazoned on a shirt. Also, please don't forget my royalty payments."

Julie Candler is auto editor for the regional business publication, CORP! She had been a contributing editor of Nations' Business, but it ceased publication in April.

Charles Henry has opted to take early retirement from Great Dane Trailers after 27 years with the company. His most recent position had been vice president of advertising and industry relations. His intentions are to stay active within the trucking industry in consulting and writing. In June, he and Ethel Coke were married. Likewise, she took early retirement from CSX Railroad.

David A. Kolman, Truck Sales & Leasing, has been commissioned an honorary Colonel on the staff of the Governor of Kentucky. This appointment entitles him to membership in the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels, a non-profit charitable organization.

Linda Longton, Overdrive, reportedly caused the lights to go out on her Paris hotel room floor very early one morning by using her hair dryer. This event, which occurred during a Mack press trip, caused a number of editors to dress in the dark . . . or so they said when asked about their "styling" appearance. She got up early every morning to jog. (You've got to admire her discipline, although she was heard to comment: "The jogging was essential as they fed us at least 49 times per day. Not that I'm complaining.")

Several members sent along the following memo for inclusion in The TWNA Dispatch.

Subject: Writing professionally is so easy!

"Rules for Writers"

1. Verbs HAS to agree with their subjects.
2. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.
3. And don't start a sentence with a conjunction.
4. It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.
5. Avoid cliches like the plague. (They're old hat.)
6. Also, always avoid annoying alliteration.
7. Be more or less specific.
8. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are (usually) unnecessary.
9. Also too, never, ever use repetitive redundancies.
10. No sentence fragments.
11. Contractions aren't necessary and shouldn't be used.
12. Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.
13. Do not be redundant; do not use more words than necessary; it's highly superfluous.
14. One should NEVER generalize.
15. Comparisons are as bad as cliches.
16. Don't use no double negatives.
17. Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.
18. One-word sentences? Eliminate.
19. Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.
20. The passive voice is to be ignored.
21. Eliminate commas, that are, not necessary. Parenthetical words however should be enclosed in commas.
22. Never use a big word when substituting a diminutive one would suffice.
23. Kill all exclamation points!!!
24. Use words correctly, irregardless of how others use them.
25. Understatement is always the absolute best way to put forth earth- shaking ideas.
26. Use the apostrophe in it's proper place and omit it when its not needed.
27. Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "I hate quotations. Tell me what you know."
28. If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times: Resist hyperbole; not one writer in a million can use it correctly.
29. Puns are for children, not groan readers.
30. Go around the barn at high noon to avoid colloquialisms.
31. Even IF a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed.
32. Who needs rhetorical questions?
33. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.
34. Avoid "buzz-words"; such integrated transitional scenarios complicate simplistic matters.
35. Proofread carefully to see if you any words out.

KOLMAN'S KORNER

I realize that humor isn't for everyone. It's only for people who want to have fun, enjoy life and feel alive.

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Overhead: "My wife divorced me on the grounds of incompatibility, and besides, I think she hated me."

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If you won't be better tomorrow than you were today, what do you need tomorrow for?