Indianapolis. A record crowd of 13,570 industry professionals turned out for The Work Truck Show 2018 last month, drawn by an unprecedented six vehicle launches from North America’s leading commercial truck manufacturers, more than 175 other new product introductions and an expanded educational conference that included the all-new Fleet Technical Congress. It was the largest event in the history of NTEA – The Association for the Work Truck Industry.
“I believe there’s never been a more exciting time to be part of this industry. Our efforts support most aspects of everyday life, and the vehicles we build drive the North American economy in such a significant way,” said incoming NTEA President Todd Davis at the President’s Breakfast & NTEA Annual Meeting held in conjunction with The Work Truck Show.
Educational sessions, Green Truck Summit and Fleet Technical Congress began March 6, and the Work Truck Show exhibit hall was open March 7–9.
Chassis manufacturers, drawing large followings to impressive displays, introduced new commercial vehicles in almost every weight class, from Ford Commercial Vehicles’ Class 1 Transit Connect Cargo Van all the way up to Hino Trucks’ new XL Series Class 7 and 8 trucks. Chevrolet Commercial Vehicles revealed its first Silverado Class 4, 5 and 6 chassis cabs and International Truck unveiled its Class 6/7 MV Series. Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America Inc launched its gasoline-powered Class 4 and 5 FE Series cabover work trucks. And Ram Commercial said there was no more appropriate place than The Work Truck Show to debut its Ram 1500 Tradesman model.
Also creating buzz at the Show were Mack Trucks’ enhancements to its Granite Medium Heavy Duty (MHD) truck and Nissan’s “Smokin’ TITAN1” concept TITAN XD Gas King Cab truck with an integrated in-truck-bed smoker and mobile kitchen.
Many companies used the event to launch a variety of truck and van bodies, including Knapheide, Morgan Corporation, Morgan Olson, Omaha Standard Palfinger and Reading Truck Body. Others showcased new truck components, equipment and upfits, including drivetrain conversions to improve fuel utilization.
“The Work Truck Show was once again the venue for showcasing the best, newest and most innovative commercial vehicles, equipment and solutions the industry has to offer, across all weight classes and applications,” said Steve Carey, NTEA executive director. “Our exhibitors were happy with the Show traffic, and attendees were happy to have so many new products to discover. The educational sessions and networking events were also all well-attended as fleet managers, distributors and upfitters took advantage of the multiple opportunities to learn from each other and industry experts. And now we turn our attention to making The Work Truck Show 2019 even better.”
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Work Truck Show 2018 by the numbers:
6 OEM reveals: Chevrolet Commercial Vehicles 4500HD, 5500HD and 6500HD; Ford Commercial Vehicles Transit Connect Cargo Van; Hino Trucks XL Series, International Truck MV Series; Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America FE Series; Ram Commercial 1500 Tradesman
60+ Educational and workforce development opportunities, including the sold-out Fleet Technical Congress and popular Green Truck Summit
13,570 Attendees from 21 countries and all 50 states plus Puerto Rico
500 exhibitors
500,000+ square feet of exhibit space
11 Ride-and-Drive opportunities
The Work Truck Show, North America’s largest work truck event, returns to Indianapolis March 5–8, 2019.