'We can't do this unless we do it right'

MATS is a wonderland of opportunity for us as the trucking media.

As I prepared to take a seat and visit for a moment with Mark Reddig at the “Land Line Now” booth, a young gentleman in an OOIDA cap walked up and looked like he wanted to talk on the radio microphone set up for interviews.

His parents, Garry and Teresa England, politely smiled at us said something to the effect of “Come on, Alex, I’m sure these people are very busy.” 

Alex England, 9, does his best Mark Reddig impersonation 

at the “Land Line Now” booth at MATS. Alex is the son of new 

OOIDA Member Garry England and wife Teresa of Cullman, Ala.

(Photo by David Tanner)

They were wearing OOIDA caps as well. Hello, opportunity.

“It’s OK,” I assured, and invited them to stick around and check out the radio booth. I asked if Alex would like to pull up a chair and talk on the mic. "Sure," he said.

Mark seized his opportunity without hesitation.

“Now, we can’t do this unless we do it right,” he said, extending a set of radio headphones to the young man.

Within seconds flat, Alex was styling, "testing, 1, 2, 3" on the mic. It was one of those fun MATS moments, and an opportunity to show what OOIDA and its media are all about – our members.

You see, Garry had signed up as a new OOIDA member just minutes before his son spotted the mic.

Thanks to that interaction, we got to meet another fantastic trucking family, and who knows? We may have discovered a future on-air talent.