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The Mid-America Truck Show

Every year, industry professionals gather in Louisville for the Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS). MATS stands apart from other industry events for many reasons, perhaps the most obvious of which is its sheer size (900+ exhibitors and more than 30,000 attendees!). For me, the magic of MATS lies not in its numbers, but in its ability to bring together representatives from all sectors of the industry – from owner operators to OEs.

While I’m a service provider to the trucking industry, I spend the majority of my work days behind a stationary desk at a stationary office. I see the industry from the limited perspective my office affords me. The elements in my work world are part numbers, labor codes, invoice numbers, and payment amounts. But each spring, I have the opportunity to travel to Louisville to experience the trucking industry from the exhibit floor at MATS. I can climb in the cabs, walk inside the trailers, marvel at the intricacies of engines and APUs, and interact with the drivers who master these epic machines. And each spring, I’m reminded that the trucking industry isn’t about part numbers, labor codes, invoice numbers, or payment amounts; it’s about the individuals – from the owner operators to the OEs – who make transportation of the goods we rely on possible.