2018 in review
This article was published in the April 2018 edition of NTEA News.
A record crowd of 13,570 industry professionals turned out for The Work Truck Show® 2018, 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 new Fleet Technical Congress. View videos from the 2018 Show.
Work Truck Week took place March 6–9 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. 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 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.”
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 Fleet Technical Congress and 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
Visit worktruckshow.com for photo highlights and more details on product introductions.
Register for The Work Truck Show 2019