RSS 2.0The MATS Experience
The Mid-America Trucking Show ended on Saturday after an eventful three days. It was my first time at the
show and it was an exciting, nonstop experience.
I spent most of the time in press events lead by the big guys: Peterbilt, NaviStar, Mack Trucks, Volvo, Kenworth, etc. It was amazing to see their exhibit booths and be able
to hear what is coming up in the trucking industry. The biggest topics? Fuel efficiency and driver comfort was on everyone’s list.
I was there as a writer for Road King magazine, a publication for the truck driver customers of our client TravelCenters of America, which operates TA and Petro travel centers. Attending MATS for the first time really opened my eyes. Meeting the industry’s top journalists and the movers and shakers of the trucking world gave me more insight into the topics we cover. It was an honor to be able to talk and pick the brains of the leading trucking news and technical people, while learning a lot on how to better understand the trucking industry and what’s important to our audience.
The expo center in Louisville, Ky. was filled to the brim with almost 1,000 exhibits — not to mention the trucks outside for the truck beauty show. Inside were shiny rigs and commercial vehicles on display, along
with industry businesses and vendors from wall to wall. We even stopped in to visit TA TravelCenters and Petro Stopping Centers at their booth.
We met the Mack Trucks press person, John Walsh face-to-face at the show, which was exciting since he was so helpful when I wrote the story about Mack. Unfortunately, Mack the Bulldog wasn’t around yet by the time we headed back to Nashville, but I’m sure we’ll catch him next time. And anyway, we had plenty of press events and attractions to keep our attention.
I attended the Truck Writers of North America Communications Awards Banquet where we shared a table with our own award-winning writer, Paul Abelson. Parthenon’s Road King magazine won 10 awards at the 
banquet including five golds (one for total publication) and a Best of Division Award for Magazine Graphics.
The show, in its enormity, is something that everyone should see once, and I was lucky enough to be able to do just that this year, during the show’s 40th anniversary. Being there helps us, as the editorial team, keep up to date with the trucking industry and feel out new stories for our publication, Road King. And let’s not forget the fun schwag we get to bring home either.
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