50 Years In The Rear View Mirror

SLIPPERY ROCK, PA… Wow!  50 years and 600 editions of Movin’ Out!  Think of all of the changes that we have seen together!

Back in 1975 there was no internet and very few computers. (We didn’t have any!) The only people who had fax machines were law enforcement and the government and if you wanted to make a phone call when you were not home, you had to find a pay phone.  Bottled water hadn’t been invented yet as well.

Over the years we saw the truck length laws rescinded, creating the demise of the cabover. Deregulation changed the face of the trucking industry. Power steering and air conditioning became standard in trucks. The integral sleeper, the introduction of ELDs, DEF, and SCR to commercial vehicles and the CDL license.

I think I can also say that the printing industry, driven by technology, advanced more in the past 50 years than in the previous 200 years.

Movin’ Out’s print longevity has been made possible by our many loyal advertising customers who have supported us over the years – and of course our readers – YOU, the Professional Truck Driver!

I wish that my parents, Strickler Winton and Audrey Ann Pollock, who founded Movin’ Out with little more than their hard work and determination were alive to see us celebrate 50 years of publishing, as well as witnessing how the newspaper has evolved.  We have published a copy of the original issue of Movin’ Out, Vol. 1 Number 1 on page 21 so our readers can see how things have changed in the past 50 years.

There are so many people who have helped us produce and distribute Movin’ Out for so many years – and to everyone involved in our growth and longevity, my sincerest thanks and appreciation.

The most rewarding part of this journey for me has been the many, many wonderful people who have become friends and associates over the years.  From our customers to the Professional Truck Drivers that I am privileged to call my friends, you have made these years so very special for me.  I thought about listing some of these individuals, but I would fill the pages of this newspaper and inevitably forget someone.  So thanks to every single one of you! I am proud and grateful that you have allowed me to be a part of the truck industry that delivers everything that all of us use every single day of our lives.

In an increasingly digital world, we are pleased to still be able to publish Movin’ Out is a print format (a digital version of Movin’ Out is available online if you prefer).  I am an “old print guy,” so I will make this statement with prejudice – when your article and photo appears or appeared in Movin’ Out, you can cut it out and hang it on the wall for posterity.  Try that with your digital content.

I cannot begin to imagine what changes the years to come will have in store for all of us.  I only hope we will have many more years to be involved in the trucking industry and continue to bring you Movin’ Out every month.