Up Front

25 years and counting

At a time when trends come and go and nothing seems permanent except change, we take considerable pride in the fact that we have been producing Over the Road and Pro Trucker magazines for 25 years.

You are holding in your hands Vol. 25, No. 1 of Over the Road. While 25 years marks a significant milestone in the life of any business, we aren’t planning any parties to celebrate the occasion. Instead, we prefer to quietly reflect on all of the people who have played a role in our success over the years—our talented staffers and salespeople, our loyal advertisers and our readers just like you, without whom we wouldn’t have 25 years of success to celebrate.

Twenty-five years ago, I was an independent driver recruiter looking for an innovative way to match drivers seeking new employment opportunities with carriers interested in hiring them. After tinkering with the concept, we developed the industry’s first digest-size recruiting magazine wholly supported by advertising dollars. Many of the advertisers who appeared in those early issues are still with us today.

The idea spawned many imitators, and truckers now have their choice of recruitment publications every time they walk into a truck stop. We were there first, though, and our legion of loyal readers and advertisers confirm that we’re still the best.