Every year Leonard Emery takes a few days off from driving for Apex Bulk Commodities so he can attend The Truck Show Las Vegas.

Emery, also known as "Sandpaper," helps out in the Trucker Buddy booth so he can tell other drivers about the benefits of being in the program.
This year, Sandpaper will again talk to drivers who pass through the exhibit hall at the Las Vegas Convention center, June 10, 11 and 12.
Sandpaper has been a Trucker Buddy participant since 1996, and currently corresponds with a fourth grade class in Fairhaven, Mass. These students send letters to Sandpaper each month, asking him about his job, his truck and the products he hauls. In return, they receive postcards from around the country, which allow them to track the truck and driver while learning geography, math and writing skills.
In addition to telling drivers about the Trucker Buddy program, Sandpaper will be helping promote a 64-scale Die Cast Mike Ryan Trucker Buddy collector’s edition truck. Mike Ryan’s rig will be on display inside the convention center throughout the show, and can be seen at Booth 2245, near the antique truck display. Ryan (www.fastrucks.com) races his rig up Pike’s Peak each year and currently holds the record for the fastest time in the big rig division.
The collector’s edition model is a three-piece replica of Ryan’s Freightliner racer along with the transporter tractor and trailer unit. Ryan will be available for autographs on Friday from 4 to 5 p.m. and again on Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m.
The proceeds from the sale of these models ($55 each) help fund Trucker Buddy, which is a nonprofit charitable organization.
The Truck Show Las Vegas will be open from 10 a.m. each day, June 10-12.
Along with the Mike Ryan race truck display, there will be antique trucks from across the country, and show rigs competing for prizes in the Stars and Stripes competition. Drivers can also attend seminars conducted by J. J. Keller & Associates all three days of the show or they can stop and check out the Expediting area or the recruitment center.
For m ore information about the show, visit www.truckshow.com.
To order a Ryan three-piece collector’s edition model or find out more about the program, call (800) MY BUDDY or visit www.truckerbuddy.org.