This article was published in the November 2017 edition of NTEA News.
Work Truck Week is your once-a-year chance to see all of the newest industry products, choose from a variety of industry-focused training courses, and gain access to technical engineering representatives from hundreds of exhibiting companies. Attendees can meet with current and prospective suppliers, find solutions to key issues, talk with industry peers at special events and receptions, and gain insights into industry and market trends.
The Work Truck Show® 2018 is scheduled Tuesday, March 6 through Friday, March 9, 2018 at the Indiana Convention Center (Indianapolis, Indiana). Educational sessions, Fleet Technical Congress and Green Truck Summit begin March 6, and the exhibit hall is open March 7–9.
Targeted education
If you select a Conference & Trade Show Package, you can choose from nearly 50 concurrent educational sessions. The 2018 curriculum will address workforce development, government regulations, staying competitive, growing your business, vehicle design and specification, maximizing operational efficiency, and more key industry issues. With so many options available, you can customize your schedule with the programming that best aligns with your business objectives. Learn more at worktruckshow.com/eventeducation.
Topics include:
Beyond concurrent sessions, The Work Truck Show features the following special sessions.
Lean 101: Straightforward Approach to Lean Implementation for Truck Equipment Upfitters
Find out what NTEA member companies have done to take shop productivity to a new level through workplace organization and streamlining custom jobs. Led by Doug Hanawalt and
Ed Hlava, product improvement specialists at Purdue Manufacturing Extension Partnership, this workshop is geared toward business owners and shop managers interested in gaining a minimum 20-percent increase in shop productivity without adding personnel or equipment and without shutting down current operations. Attendees will have the chance to participate in a hands-on upfit exercise modeling shop activity and improvement.
Lean 201: The Kata Journey – Daily Practice for Scientific Thinking, Mindset and Culture
Earlier approaches to lean focused on describing techniques at Toyota, but that is not how people acquire new ways of thinking and acting. Toyota Kata concentrates on developing scientific thinking skills and mindsets — and modifying an organization’s culture — through a process of daily practice coached by line managers. The Improvement Kata and Coaching Kata make the process transferrable beyond Toyota, to any organization. During this session, a team of experts will discuss these principles and provide valuable takeaways. Attendees can take part in a 90-minute exercise modeling each step of the Improvement Kata pattern.
Generation Next Leadership Workshop and Networking Reception: Ego vs. EQ – How Top Leaders Beat 8 Ego Traps with Emotional Intelligence
Successful managers and leaders leverage the power of EQ (emotional intelligence) to engage and motivate their employees and associates. Studies show a direct correlation between high EQ and successful leadership. But managers can fall into particular pitfalls that hurt their credibility and hard-won success, impeding the ability to use their EQ. This presentation provides strategies for building a strong case for the importance of both IQ and EQ. Jen Shirkani, author and keynote speaker for Penumbra Group, will provide practical examples and explain the unique traps that can trip up even the most successful leaders, as well as ways to avoid them.
LTAP Fleet Educational Program: The Work Truck in the Work Zone
Whether you operate a service truck, dump body, aerial lift or snowplow, it’s imperative to make distracted drivers aware of you, your work truck and your work zone. Indiana LTAP developed a training session specifically for the workforce that has the difficult task of working on or along America’s roads and highways. Technical experts will cover approved signage, equipment and personal protective measures that when used correctly, send a clear and consistent message to drivers.
Fleet Management 101
Get a thorough introduction to the most important elements of an effective fleet management program. If you are new to fleet management or are a business owner, agency director, or procurement or finance official who serves as the de facto fleet manager in your organization, this workshop is for you. Content covers maintenance program design and shop operations management; outsourcing and supplier management; performance measurement and benchmarking; managing vehicle total cost of ownership; and fleet replacement.
Register
Visit worktruckshow.com for the full educational program, including special sessions and nearly 50 concurrent courses; exhibiting companies and products; a complete schedule of events; and information on Green Truck Summit and Fleet Technical Congress. Contact the NTEA team with any questions (info@ntea.com or 800-441-6832).
Stay connected by visiting facebook.com/TheWorkTruckShow and Twitter @WorkTruckShow. Official Work Truck Show, Green Truck Summit and Fleet Technical Congress hashtags are #worktrucks18, #greentrucks18 and #fleets18.