10-4 Magazine August 2024

10-4 Magazine / August 2024 71 trucks started rolling in and parking. Most of the trucks were parked on the grass, which made a nice backdrop for pictures. Inside the Fairgrounds Pavilion vendors were set up, including a booth for show merchandise, as well as Beam Truck Parts, Halron Lubricants, someone selling freeze dried candy, Tara Kelliher (a local artist who was face painting), a Tupperware booth, and a few others. The show wouldn’t be possible without the sponsors and volunteers, and they would like to thank Joe Arndt Trucking, Falling Star Transport, WEL Companies, Arrowhead Trucking, Greg Beilfuss Trucking, Midwest Carriers, Kevin Thomson Trucking, Extreme Transportation Specialized, Roxy & Rosie’s Railway, Trio Fishing Charters, Dennis and Sandy Hubbard, Kevin Voigt Trucking, Linzmeyer Farms, RDM Trucking, Gueller Veterans Memorial, and Jody and Traci Crocker. The live entertainment included Eight Second Ride, Homegrown, and Kenny & Kris. Both the Gillett and Underhill fire departments have been running a food stand since the first show in 2019 and became well known locally for their Friday night fish fry that always sells out 200 plates. They also serve hamburgers, hot dogs, brats, french fries, and a chicken vegetable soup locally known as booyah. I had a bowl, and I can’t really pronounce it, but I can say it’s really good. They run the stand as a fundraiser to help purchase additional fire equipment. On Saturday mid-day the kids who are running around between the bouncy house and face painting are given ballots to vote for their favorite truck. When they bring the ballot back, they are given a ticket and entered in a raffle for one of the eight bikes they were giving away this year. Local businesses and families donate money towards the bikes, and then they are purchased from the local hardware store (Gillett Hardware). This year the Kid’s Choice was the WEL Autism Awareness rig driven by Danny Tankersley. His son Riley accepted the award. This truck will be featured on next year’s show shirt. The show ended on a rainy note, as Mother Nature missed the memo for Saturday. But after the rain stopped, the scheduled parade went on. We really thought it would be canceled, but it wasn’t, and it was amazing how many people filled Main Street to watch the trucks roll by. It has to be the shortest truck parade John and I have ever been in, as we both made two laps and didn’t go one mile, but it was a lot of fun. All and all it was a great time, and we look forward to the show next year, which is scheduled for June 13-14, 2025. We encourage you all to take a drive to northern Wisconsin next year to have a good time in a small town that really appreciates the truckers who come – you won’t be disappointed. To stay informed about the event throughout the year, visit www.rhmts.com often. n