2018 was our fifth adventure selecting the Andy’s Choice Truck at the Manton Mi Truck Show and thankfully each year is getting easier. Recently Andy has been able to demonstrate his knowledge of vehicles because he had the right people around to interpret his actions. A week or two prior to this show he found his uncles 1986 bus in a book featuring International history from 1915-2002. Do you have any idea how many busses are in that book? Neither do I and I’m not counting them, but Andy found the one he knew was his uncles! He also circled a few in the late 80’s and 90’s section of the book, ones I suspect he rode while in school. A couple days after the show, he was given a semi sales magazine and with in minutes he picked out the make and model of the rigs sitting outside the Kenworth sales door and showed them to that salesperson. In that same magazine, that by this time he had for a total of 10 minutes, he proceeded to find a matching semi to one owned by Diesel Freak. These events tell me he knows his trucks and validates his choices for this award.
In this post I will share the selection process I have come up with. So far it is the most fair and accurate process I can think of given Andy’s limitations. We actually start during the 30 minute drive with me laying out the details and expectations for Andy once our feet hit the pavement. At the event I try to keep distractions for Andy to a minimum during the selection process. We postpone our chats with friends we only get to see at this yearly event. I also limit the number of venders racks he clears of model brochures until we have our final selection submitted. Usually it is just Andy and me inspecting each truck but this year Juli, our coloring book illustrator joined us. She wanted to meet some of the drivers and get a first hand look at the rigs she had drawn.
Last year I utilized Andy’s iPad and that tool made a dramatic difference! It not only made the selection process easier on my feet but I can show his choices and I have confidence I have interpreted him accurately. When we approach a group of trucks, I section off three or four rigs depending on the layout. I ask Andy to pick his favorite of that group and take a picture of the truck and its event number.
Here are the trucks that made the first cut. (Still learning this platform so I will have to learn how to fix issues with this group of pictures, ugh.)
We still had one more street to judge but it down-poured so we sought refuge and used the time to eat lunch. This was Juli’s first experience at any semi related event so I asked her for her impression thus far. She was as impressed with all the kindnesses and helpfulness as I have been over the years. Her other observation was how decisive Andy was with his selections. He was usually ahead of me picking out the truck in the next group and if I needed to re-ask Andy he did not change his choice. Because the rain continued, I started the round two selection process even though we still had one street to do.
The second cut. In all openness and honesty, while compiling the pictures for this article I noticed one of the trucks does not belong as it should only have been one from each above group. He did not choose the white/blue one in round two, but I was distracted with the meal and conversations and offered it as a choice! OOps! Ha, that one got a bonus round!
After that wave of rain stopped I pitched the winner of the missing street against the rig he choose from the above group. I had not saved all the group selections so I did have to recreate a couple of for this article giving me opportunity to give you a different angle to look at!
Before we get to awards part of the day, I go over the agenda with Andy and what he is expected to do at the awards ceremony. Instructions include hold on to the award, hand the award to the winner, shake hands or high five, etc. He is good at remembering what I have instructed however I’ve been known to leave out an instruction occasionally but not today.
Chosen three times, the winner is ……
Apparently Andy and Jeremy have similar taste in semis as he was the winner of the first Andy’s Choice Award in 2014, but thankfully it was a different truck! One of my concerns has been what if Andy were to choose the same truck over and over should I intervene? To date I have not had to make that decision. Another concern that has crossed my mind, there are a few show participants who supply Andy with a lot of semi related crap,,,,, oops, did I say crap? I meant treasures,,, ya, big rig related treasures. Anyway, it has crossed my mind he might choose the rig of one of his suppliers. Because it has not happened in the five selections, I am now confident if he chooses one of those trucks it’s because it’s his favorite on that day. A side note, even though Jeremy has now won the award twice, the only thing he has ever given Andy is a polished rig to admire!
Given Andy’s passion for Kenworths I am surprised it took this long for one to win the award!
Passion Prevails!
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