TORONTO, Ont. – Truck World, the leading trade show for Canada’s trucking industry, attracted 18,820 people this year – a record number of qualified buyers.

“We attracted more people on each of the first two days than we did during the opening days of any previous Truck World,” says Joe Glionna, vice-president of Newcom Business Media Inc., which produces Truck World and its companion Expocam trade show. “The crowds of buyers and exhibitors speak to the strength of Canada’s trucking industry and the event itself.” 

There were 14,862 visitors who walked through the halls of Toronto’s International Centre from April 14 to 16, interacting with 3,958 exhibitor representatives in more than 400 booths. Saturday’s “family day” numbers dropped slightly, likely due to summer-like conditions in the area.

The show also saw a noticeable increase in attendees from Canada’s South Asian community, in a year when a new relationship was forged with JGK Media, Glionna said. The company’s Desi Trucking magazine was named the show’s official South Asian Media Partner.

International Truck and Engine Corporation was the event’s platinum sponsor, while Shell and Manac were the gold sponsors. Truck World is endorsed by the Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) and the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA). In opening remarks, David Bradley, CEO of the Ontario Trucking Association, described the ongoing relationship with Newcom Business Media Inc. and Truck World as one of the smartest business decisions his association ever made.

The show kicked off with a keynote address by Murray K. Mullen, CEO of the Mullen Group, the largest provider of specialized transportation for Western Canada’s oil and gas industry. Other highlights included the awarding of 2016 HighwayStar of the Year honours to Highland Transport’s Joanne Millen-Mackenzie. That Newcom Business Media award was sponsored by Chevron, Eberspaecher, Freightliner, and the Owner-Operator’s Business Association of Canada.

An expanded Driver Recruitment Pavilion brought together carriers and potential recruits who showed the promise of future highway stars.

In the day prior to the event, Newcom also hosted the new Canadian Fleet Maintenance Summit in conjunction with PIT Group, bringing together the Automotive Transportation Service Superintendents Association (ATSSA), CTEA, OTA, and the Transportation Maintenance and Technology Association (TMTA). That attracted close to 200 delegates.