The Trailmobile Canada-CTA Service to Industry Award was presented posthumously to John Robert “Bud” McCaig, former chairman of the board of Trimac Corp. He died suddenly in January 2005, but during his life he was emblematic of the pioneering spirit, entrepreneurship, and dedication to community upon which the trucking industry in Canada was built.
McCaig was born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, in 1929 and joined Trimac in 1945, when it was founded by his father, originally as Maccam Transport Ltd. The company was renamed Trimac in 1960 after McCaig and his two brothers, and McCaig moved to Calgary that year. Trimac grew to become the largest tank truck operator in North America. McCaig worked his way up through the company's ranks, becoming its president and chief executive officer in 1970. Trimac went public in 1971, and in 1972, McCaig became chairman, the position he held until his death.
“Trucking is a people business first and foremost, and my father had great people skills,” said Jeffrey McCaig, who received the award on his father's behalf and who has taken over the reins at Trimac. “He also had a great entrepreneurial spirit that pulled the company through several near-death experiences.”