A record number of work truck professionals attended North America’s largest work truck event, NTEA’s The Work Truck Show, March 1–4 at the Indianapolis Convention Center.

A big attraction at The Work Truck Show 2016 trade show and exposition was a 3-D printer version of a Shelby Cobra, created by Cincinnati Inc. (Photo courtesy NTEA)

Truck premieres, exclusive ride-and-drive opportunities and unmatched training drew a record-setting 11,905 industry professionals to The Work Truck Show 2016. This breaks the event’s previous attendance record of 11,005, set in 2015. Attendees came from all 50 states, eight Canadian provinces and 19 countries.

The show featured more than 500,000 square feet of vocational trucks and equipment. Attendees discovered new products, talked business and explored the newest clean vehicle technologies during two afternoons of ride-and-drive opportunities. Work Truck Show exhibitors highlighted significant propane fleet adoptions and even converted a pickup truck to run on propane, right on the show floor.

Particularly well-attended events included the president’s breakfast, featuring comedian Jay Leno, and industry educational sessions such as “Leadership Development and Transition in the New Economy — Critical Insights and Practical Strategies for Building Bench Strength,” which broached trends in the new economy and essential leadership competencies necessary to compete in the 21st century.

For the first time, an expanded curriculum united Green Truck Summit and Work Truck Show concurrent sessions. Press conferences, like one presented by VMAC Global Technology about its rotary screw air compressor, were plentiful; and traffic on the exposition floor remained heavy and steady after opening on the second day. A big expo draw was a 3-D printed replica of a Shelby Cobra by Cincinnati Inc. The display was designed to increase the legitimacy of big area additive manufacturing and was presented with truck equipment examples by the same company.

Setting an all-time attendance record was a feat. The Work Truck Show will attempt it again next year. Join them! The Work Truck Show 2017 is slated for March 15–17 in the same location. Educational programming, including the Green Truck Summit, begins March 14.