Your opinion counts and could add up to special prizes each month. In this issue, Big Rig Owner kicks off a new series with a fresh survey each month. The surveys let you make your voice heard by industry suppliers and get prizes and incentives in return.

As the customer, you have a stake in getting your two cents worth on the record as well. It is, after all, that the products and services you use that will be affected. If you are not telling trucking industry suppliers what you want, you can bet someone else is giving them an earful in your place.

The tall, slim brunette is a familiar presence at truck shows and truck stops across the country. She greets you with a warm smile, a friendly handshake — and a few questions about your truck equipment preferences or maintenance habits. Diane Gainer is a field research manager for Markinetics Inc, a marketing firm with expertise in the transportation industry.

These days, information and commerce travel electronic roads, connected by the World Wide Web. Some of the attractions along the Information Highway are designed especially for truck drivers.

Think about your truck. What are its lines? Is your seat air ride? How much horsepower do you have in your engine? The design, mechanics, and technical details of your truck are what they are because of you.