Work Truck Show Draws Thousands of Professionals

Thousands of industry professionals gathered at The Work Truck Show in Atlanta, Ga., Feb. 26-28, to take advantage of the opportunity to examine and compare the latest developments in work trucks and equipment, explore new hybrid and alternative fuels technology, learn from industry experts, and talk with manufacturers — and each other — face to face.

The Work Truck Show is North America’s largest vocational truck event. It is produced annually by the National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA). The show was held in conjunction with the 44th Annual NTEA Convention at the Georgia World Congress Center. The convention and educational sessions started Feb. 25.

More than 7,200 professionals attended the business-focused show. Attendees included representatives of some of North America’s largest work truck fleets, truck equipment distributors/upfitters, manufacturers and truck dealers. Nearly 90 percent of fleet attendees had final purchasing authority.

A record 538 exhibitors covered more than 450,000 square feet of display space at the show with trucks, components and accessories. New and updated products could be found in every aisle, as more than 100 were highlighted at the event.

“The Work Truck Show 2008 was a great success,” says Jim Carney, NTEA executive director. “The size and scope of the show floor, cutting-edge educational sessions and new product and technology launches were unmatched. It is a testament to the effectiveness of the event that demand for exhibit space at the Work Truck Show 2009 is incredibly high. The association is working hard to try to accommodate all the requests for booth space at next year’s show.”

Hundreds of Convention attendees kicked off the event by participating in the Hybrid Truck and Alternative Fuels Summit on Feb. 25. The Honorable Clarence H. “Bud” Albright, Jr., under secretary, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), gave an informative keynote address at the Summit, followed by presentations from a number of industry leaders, manufacturers and customers.

Other attendees were drawn to two additional Special Sessions held on Feb. 25. “Surviving & Thriving: Trends Reshaping the Truck Equipment Industry” covered what’s changing in the industry and how this evolution impacts truck equipment distributors and manufacturers. “Roll with the Changes: Simplifying Vehicle Certification & Labeling” taught final-stage manufacturers and vehicle alterers how to perform a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard Compliance Analysis and determine which label is required for different stages of certification.

Other event highlights included:

• An entertaining and motivational keynote address given by three-time Winston Cup champion Darrell Waltrip at the President’s Breakfast and NTEA Annual Meeting on Feb. 27.
• The opportunity to take 14 different hybrid and alternative fuel commercial vehicles for test drives as part of the Hybrid Truck & Alternative Fuels Ride-and-Drive Feb. 26-27.
• The latest hybrid and alternative fuel technologies and products on display in the Advanced Truck Technology Pavilion.
•  A Business Forum about the importance of branding presented by Stan Slap, corporate specialist and consultant for Slap (San Francisco, CA) on Feb. 28.
• Exhibits from 15 of the world’s leading truck chassis manufacturers giving attendees an overview of the latest commercial offerings. Thirteen chassis manufacturers presented informational update sessions on specifications, design and body installation.

Many of the exhibiting companies at the Work Truck Show 2008 have already reserved their booth space for next year’s show, and remaining space is selling quickly. The Work Truck Show 2009 will occupy the new West Building at McCormick Place in Chicago, Ill., March 4-6, 2009 (45th Annual NTEA Convention starts March 3).

“We are excited to be taking the show to Chicago for the first time,” Carney says. “Chicago is one of the country’s preeminent convention cities, and it is located in the heart of the truck equipment industry. Significant changes have taken place at McCormick Place to make shows held there more economical for exhibitors. Those changes, combined with a world-class new facility, encouraged the Association to commit to the location.”

Online registration for The Work Truck Show 2009 and 45th Annual NTEA Convention opens at www.ntea.com in September.