2018 MATS

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In his first official “grass roots outreach” with a room full of truck drivers — and only a month on the job as the nation’s top trucking regulator — Ray Martinez said he hoped the session would not be “an angry event.” It was.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Health education specialist Kay Pfeiffer compares diabetic professional truck drivers who are not testing their blood sugar with “driving at night without headlights — and you’re going to crash.”

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The federal mandate of electronic logging devices has been in effect since late last year, but some truckers still have lingering questions about the finer points of the regulation as tougher enforcement nears.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Fleets in the longhaul segment are increasingly spurring Class 8 demand as the highway market makes a comeback, according to Mack Trucks, whose new Anthem model is aimed directly at that segment.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — BFGoodrich has begun production of two new all-terrain commercial truck tires aimed at the surging oil and gas, construction and logging sectors — calling the Cross Control S and Cross Control D tires its most significant innovations for commercial truck tires in nearly two decades.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — More technicians will be needed soon, nearly 77,000 more by 2026. However, plenty of students are in the pipeline. But questions remain about their ability to meet real-world needs in a shop, and about how to keep them once hired, experts said.

The annual Mid-America Trucking Show will open its doors March 22-24, offering attendees three days to peruse exhibits of trucking equipment and technology, attend seminars on industry issues and enjoy a variety of entertainment.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Daimler Trucks North America, the most vocal proponent of a two-year cycle for truck shows, has actually mounted a strong presence here at the Mid-America Trucking Show despite its strong support for the new Atlanta-based event in September.