How Was the Truck Show?

[ATeam]

Diane and I chose to run this year instead of attend the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, but as the show went on and we listened to radio broadcasts from it, we were sorry to be missing it.

We have heard about Ripoff Parking at MATS and the MATS Miracle. Are there any other reports? For those who were there, how was the show for you? For those who have been to previous shows, how did it compare?

 

[Refer Hauler]

I went Thursday as soon as it opened. The parking is never a pleasant experience but this year with the recent construction and the mud it was bad. I spent two hours attempting to see other items but after dodging kids,strollers and dogs (on leashes) I had enough and left. The crowds on Friday and Saturday must have been huge.

I always thought that they should have one day (or portion of ) that is open only to the professionals that need to or would like to get first hand answers from the various product reps about specific questions. I personaly do not see the value of kids playing in reefer trailer while I am trying to ask a question regarding a future purchase. I did get a good deal on Centramatics even though I had not intented to buy a set.

Will I attend next year; probably I live about 30 minutes away.

 

[greg334]

I didn't go either, I don't think I will be in the future, I don't think kids or dogs need to go to a show that is intended for adults, where we are supposed to be professionals in a business. They both get in the way and distracting, as mentioned.

However....

 

[kinilu57]

We had not gone since 2005, so....we had a great time. I agree with the fact that kids with strollers and dogs should be discouraged. Not only does that make everyone around them uncomfortable, the kids and dogs have to be miserable.

We parked at Papa John's Stadium on Thursday only. I guess by only going the first day of the show, we were not in the parking mess.
The shuttle was comfortable and running smooth. There were alot of interesting people to meet at the tents set up in the parking lot. The money collected for donations for the food all went for great causes.
We were able to get everything important that we went for.

SO.......in our opinion, the MATS for 2008 was a GOOD experience dispite the rainy conditions.
Have no idea if we will go next year or not. Depends on what we will be needing at that time.
If it were a choice between MATS and THE EXPO in Ohio though, I still like the EXPO better. Just more convenient and smaller. I think we might try out the one in Texas this summer if we are close enough. Anybody have any opinions on that one.....

 

[pelicn]

Dallas Truckshow is comparable to MATS but it is smaller in size. I liked it better. We didnt' go this year, but have been there in the past. I have the same issues with MATS as some of the others that have posted. Kids, dogs etc are a distraction, but it is a trucking "show" and it's also a public event, so I think we're stuck with it.

 

[easyrider2697]

Missed the show, was close by on saturday, but by the time I got there it would have been over...BUT .. I did manage to pull a load out of the show..was kinda interesting to see how things were broke down and boxed back up...maybe next year

 

[TJ959]

I went thursday afternoon and friday. Thursday things went ok but friday the crowds were so thick it was very difficult to see what I wanted to see. The dogs didn't bother me but the unsupervised running and pushing and screeming kids did. It says a lot for our civilization that our pets behave better than our kids.

 

[Jack_Berry]

put a dog on a leash no big deal. put a kid on a leash and look at the hate stares. i know my wife and i did that and people just disapproved. doesn't matter that the kids were controlled.

 

[Time Out]

I thought the truck show was pretty good this year.

It seemed like the attendance was a little off this year compared to previous years.

There were lots of young children and lots of older children.

The concert was good. Some of the attendees had a little too much refreshment.

Looking foward to next year.

 

[greg334]

put a dog on a leash no big deal. put a kid on a leash and look at the hate stares. i know my wife and i did that and people just disapproved. doesn't matter that the kids were controlled.

Yea, that seems cruel ... sort of.... nope not at all....I just can't take the bratty kids at crowded shows, never could even as a kid.

I was at the store in Iowa the other day and there was a women who was talking on the phone at the end of one of the isles, she was leaning against the shelving. When I got down there, she had on a tether 3 brats. While she was talking on the phone babbling away, the brats had enough lead to be around the corner pulling things off the shelf. Everyone gave her dirty looks and a few gave the finger. The brats made it to the pickle part of the isle on the other side and you know there aren't too many companies that use plastic jars but maybe they should.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

I remember when I was a kid they actually had a harness type with a leash for toddlers..probably outlawed now.

 

[Coco]

There seemed to be fewer exhibitors in the Expediter Experience but more in the Snake Oil section.

We found many of the exhibitors like to sell their merchandise close to the end of the show and that resulted in a steal on some lights, originally $240.00 we got em for $100.00.

We also found a nice little turbo repair shop, ironically it was 25 miles from home. The truck is there now getting a new turbo. We have the Mercedes 300 with 360,000 miles and would rather make the repair now than get caught on the road and suffer the consequesces of a tow bill, motel and dealer labor. The difference in the labor quote alone was more than $1,000. A previous repair gone bad damaged the turbo and it needed replaced anyway.

Didn't care for the concert and left in the middle of it.

T J Tilcox (Iceroad Truckers) was interesting and informative. What luck, a 22 year old kid looking to make some extra money driving the ice road ends up a spokesman for Volvo! He'll be off the show this season while touring for Volvo but will be back in 2009 in his new Volvo spondored truck! I'm sure he has those medical bills whipped by now.

This year we took more intrest in the Truck Beauty Contest. We had friends who had a truck in the Bobtail Division, even though it was a straight truck, and got to learn the ins and outs of showing a truck. The Lights and Sounds Show on Thursday night was impressive.

We got to see old friends and meet new ones, that's a big part of the show for us. We like to visit with Jon Mosier, Jeff Jones, and the Bentz Family. We have always felt like Thursday is the best day to do business as it does get crowded on Friday and Saturday is impossible.

The weather could have been nicer and the parking sucked but we got over it. Next year we will park at Papa Johns.

 

[Scuba]

Caught the show on the last day parking wasnt bad if you could find a dry spot. I got in right next to the buildings. Saw some kick azz trucks took some nice pictures gave one driver hell for saying its fine to take cheap freight to get to better frieght all in all i had a good time

 

[layoutshooter]

We went. Jan and I enjoyed the FedEx breakfast. We got to see some old friends and put some faces to people who had only been names until then. Always great to make new friends. We tried out alllll the seats. The seats we have now hurt. Of course we like the more expensive ones. We were able to shop for seats with most of them being there. We now have a short list of 3. When the time comes to buy we will just whip out the list and call and order. Layoutshooter

 

[bear7009]

I went to the MATS Truck show, have been every year for the past four years. I think this year was probably the best.

Yes, there was problems with the parking, lots of mud and yes there was a lot more kids there then I have seen in the past.

One of the best things I saw at the show was the new design sleeper by AA Truck Sleeper. I was just amazed by the way their new bed system works and the table system that comes up from the bottom of the bunk area between the seats. They have come up with a hydralic lift system for the table.

Great work folks.

Bear7009