To gain perspective on the work truck industry’s evolving dynamics, it’s important to understand the big picture, as well as the small details. The Work Truck Show 2017 and Green Truck Summit offer equipment distributors, truck dealers, fleet managers and others in the industry a unique opportunity to do both. In addition to an expansive exhibit hall featuring all the latest work trucks and equipment, the Work Truck Show 2017 includes a full educational conference with sessions covering emerging national and global trends and the new strategies and technologies being developed in response.

North America’s largest work truck event is produced annually by NTEA –­ the Association for the Work Truck Industry. The 2017 Show will be held March 14-­17 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. The Work Truck Show and Green Truck summit educational sessions begin March 14, and the exhibit hall is open March 15-­17. Registration is now open at worktruckshow.com.

“This year’s Work Truck Show educational conference includes sessions focused on helping attendees with the myriad of regulatory, environmental and competitive challenges they face,” says Steve Carey, NTEA executive director. “At the show, industry professionals can take courses on satisfying federal safety requirements, optimizing fleet maintenance and recruiting the next generation of technicians. At the same venue, they can talk one-on-one with exhibiting company product engineers, get the latest product developments from leading work truck OEMs, explore fuel-saving technologies and alternative fuels, and ask NTEA staff their individual technical and regulatory questions. It’s a can’t-miss event.”

Some of the new educational sessions at The Work Truck Show 2017 include:

• How to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard rearview camera requirements (FMVSS 111). Demonstrations on how new visibility rules will impact vehicles rated under 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight, with phase-in effective May 2017 and full compliance by May 2018.
• Impact of greenhouse gas (GHG) Phase Two rules, and the opportunities it affords multi-stage manufacturers. See how the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) jointly issued second round of GHG and fuel reduction rules will impact large pickups, vans, tractors, vocational trucks and trailers as it is phased-in between 2021 and 2027. Also, learn about the benefits and upside potential of “delegated assembly” that will allow multi-stage manufacturers, downstream converters and upfitters to coordinate with OEMs to account for any GHG-reducing fuel or technology being added to a vehicle.
• Explore how small and medium-sized work truck companies can leverage new rapid prototyping technologies. From design to finished product, see a live presentation of how technologies including 3-D CAD, CAM, validation, visualization, 3-D scanning, 3-D printing, and others can help optimize the R&D process – reducing costs, saving time, speeding production, eliminating waste and decreasing risk.
• Cost comparison of insourcing vs. outsourcing maintenance and repairs. Learn the key quantitative (cost) and qualitative (service level and quality) factors that should go into making sound insourcing versus outsourcing decisions.
• Tactics for recruiting and retaining quality technicians. Several successful fleet managers share how to overcome the industry shortage of technicians and become employers of choice.
• Gain a global perspective of the commercial vehicle market and how it impacts your company. Learn how U.S. and international vocational truck industries are changing through a presentation that identifies and analyzes market trends. In addition, learn how these factors will affect the future of your company.

Also new at The Work Truck Show 2017 is the Wreck Room, a lounge equipped with classic arcade games, where attendees can relax and network.

Named one of the top 100 trade shows in the U.S., The Work Truck Show brings together more than 11,000 truck equipment distributors, truck dealers and fleet managers from around the world annually. In addition to educational sessions, it features the newest vocational trucks, vans, vehicle components and equipment on an exhibit floor covering more than 500,000 square feet.

Register and learn more about the Show at worktruckshow.com. Educational package registrants have the opportunity to choose from Work Truck Show and Green Truck Summit concurrent educational sessions. New this year, Opening Reception and President’s Breakfast tickets are not included in any registration package – they are only available separately.