Although being located in Las Vegas of all places offers a good draw for a show venue, this one really has a more attractive appeal to it for me than just the possibility of a little bit of blackjack before breakfast. I happen to like the fact that I can peer into a smaller cross-section of the trucking industry through the “looking glass” offered by attending this show every year. Being that the focus of this show is primarily the transportation and warehousing of beverages, I get to spend time showing folks just how my class 8 CNG-powered truck could fit into their operations to help reduce their environmental impact, as well as provide them a more price-stable option for alternative fuel in the future.
Being from the “driver side” of things and most recently with the addition of being a small fleet owner, most people at a show like this don’t really expect to come one-on-one with the person who sits in the seat all day at one of these shows. The reception to that idea is typically a good one though, as many out there are often more interested in learning the driver’s perspective from within the ever-changing environment of today’s trucking industry. It is more common than not at these types of shows in fact, that a round-table session or two will often turn into a Q&A for me once they find out that I am a small fleet owner who is still behind the wheel himself. Helping to provide the perspective of class 8 drivers to the masses is what I thrive on and I find that these smaller venues provide a very good forum for delivering my point of view to the class 8 sides of certain niches such as this.
This week’s festivities conclude for me with one of my favorite events of the show year, the truck ride & drive and equipment demo. After all, it is not everyday that I get to take my truck and trailer out on a NASCAR track and take hot laps with customers who are interested in the latest that Freightliner natural gas trucks has to offer! Getting to 
showcase my new 48” sleeper CNG Cascadia was definitely a shining moment for me, as well as getting to let various people who otherwise might not have had an opportunity to drive a truck like mine get to do so in a closed-course setting.
As I have always touted, staying involved in the trucking industry only helps the successful become more successful. Through the sharing of information and ideas, we can learn from each other and further promote a better and more successful image throughout the industry. Although I dabble a little in beverage hauling, a great amount 
was learned through meeting people from within this industry about efficiency, regulations, and business in general. Whether a show is a direct relation to your own niche in the trucking community or not, a show you attend is only worth what you choose to take away from it! Learn from all aspects of the industry and do not be afraid to be different in your ideas and approach, since that is what it truly takes to be extraordinary and succeed through knowledge!