Peterson Hosts 5th Annual Fleet Forum Event

ATA's Pat Thomas and Danny Neal get a tour from Steve Sharp and Mark Greffet with Peterson. — ATA’s Pat Thomas and Danny Neal get a tour from Steve Sharp and Mark Greffet with Peterson.

Leading members of the fleet trucking industry were hosted at Peterson Manufacturing’s Grandview, Missouri, headquarters during its fifth annual Fleet Forum on June 14-15. Forum participants included representatives from nine national trucking fleets, as well as featured speakers from the American Trucking Associations.

As a major supplier of vehicle lighting and safety systems for customers worldwide, Peterson holds its annual event to provide a forum for the frank and open discussion of a wide variety of issues impacting the trucking industry. Such topics include trailer lighting; harnesses and wiring; corrosion; equipment performance; CSA; emerging technology; future electrical systems and power demands; field service and more.

In the forum’s casual atmosphere, participants shared information and ideas via presentations and breakout groups geared to identify emerging industry needs –– insights that guide Peterson’s development of new, higher-performance products. Fleet topics were moderated by Pat Clift, Peterson’s director of heavy-duty sales.

Breakout sessions at the Forum included discussions on emerging technology and future electrical systems.

The two-day forum featured a presentation by Pat Thomas, currently chairman of the American Trucking Associations (ATA), the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. The ATA is a federation of 50 affiliated state trucking groups and provides the voice of the industry America depends on most to move the nation’s freight.

Danny Neal, ATA vice president of national sales, also was in attendance at the forum and spoke to the group. The agenda also included tours of Peterson’s vertically integrated facilities, where the company’s “Core Four” subsidiaries control every phase of production from engineering design to delivery.

Forum attendees also had time for some R&R, including a reception at a classic automobile museum and a night at Kauffman Stadium to watch the Kansas City Royals.

“We look forward to hosting our annual Fleet Forum for years to come,” said Steve Meagher, Peterson vice president, sales. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for us to connect with current and prospective customers, and to take a leadership role in innovating for the future.”