Longtime trucking writer nominated for Wall of Fame honor

A longtime writer for Land Line Magazine has been nominated for the Mid-America Trucking Show Wall of Fame.

The late Paul Abelson, the former senior technical writer for Land Line, was nominated for the honor, MATS announced earlier this month.  The Wall of Fame will be unveiled during the MATS 50th Anniversary Celebration and Ceremony opening night, March 24.

In honor of the 50th anniversary for MATS, this year’s show celebrates “the entire trucking industry and the men, women, and companies who built this great industry and made MATS the largest and longest-running annual trucking event.” The unveiling of the Wall of Fame is a way to “honor the many outstanding professionals that have made significant contributions to the trucking industry.”

Nominated by Land Line, Abelson is the third person with ties to OOIDA being considered for the honor. He joins former OOIDA President Jim Johnston and current OOIDA President Todd Spencer as inaugural candidates to the wall, which will be on display during MATS 2022 as well as in digital form on the MATS website.

Over two decades of contributions to trucking

Abelson served as Land Line’s senior technical writer for more than two decades. Best known for his column Maintenance Q and A, in which he answered readers’ questions, he also contributed a wide array of equipment and technical articles.

He began his career in the trucking industry on the supplier side in 1981 as North American president of Eberspecher. From an office at his home in Lisle, Ill., he launched Abelson Enterprises in April 1984, which began his 20-year journey into writing for various trucking publications. In addition to his work with Land Line Magazine, he formerly served as senior technical editor for Road King Magazine, published by TravelCenters of America.

His contributions have been recognized through a variety of awards from the American Society of Business Press Editors, the International Automotive Media Association, Communication Concepts and Truck Writers of North America. Abelson received the Silver Spark Plug distinction from the Technology & Maintenance Council in 1995. TWNA presented Abelson with its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006 at the group’s annual awards banquet at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky.

“Paul Abelson was a friend and mentor to many trucking journalists,” said Jami Jones, Land Line managing editor. “He was so well connected in the industry and selflessly helped journalists new to trucking plug into a network of industry experts. He made us all better.”

In addition to his writing, Abelson also contributed to the industry through his participation in the Technology & Maintenance Council, Society of Automotive Engineers, National Idling Reduction Planning Committee, Trucker Buddy, and Truck Writers of North America.

Abelson died Oct. 7, 2021, at his home in Littleton, Colo., shortly after turning in his final article for the December/January issue of Land Line.