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NTEA Work Truck Show features Ford, Chevy, Ram, Nissan, and more
INDIANAPOLIS — Sandwiched between the NFL Combine and the Men and Women’s Big Ten Tourney, Indianapolis played host to the NTEA Work Truck Show — the largest work truck event in North America — which attracted more than 10,000 fleet managers, distributors, manufacturers and services providers.
Indy was once again the center of the vocational truck universe as industry professionals gathered for The Work Truck Show 2014, March 5–7, at the Indiana Convention Center. The event featured significant new product introductions, a day-and-a-half Green Truck Summit, more than 60 educational sessions, and a record number of ride-and-drive opportunities.
“The success of this year’s Work Truck Show is reflective of the slow but steady growth our industry is currently enjoying,” said Steve Carey, NTEA executive director. “Vocational trucks and equipment are the tools that millions of people rely on every day to get their jobs done. As the economy improves and budget restrictions ease, vocational fleets are able to start replacing older equipment. The Work Truck Show offers the best opportunity to see and try the latest products, get questions answered and develop a better understanding of industry trends, all in one place at one time.”
One of the hottest areas in the work truck industry in recent years has been the development of sustainable technology. This trend has driven the ongoing popularity of the Green Truck Summit and the Green Truck Ride-and-Drive at The Work Truck Show.
The NTEA 50th Annual Convention was held in conjunction with The Work Truck Show 2014. At the Show, NTEA celebrated 50 years of serving the industry with special NTEA member giveaways, displays in the NTEA Member Lounge and a photo retrospective during the President’s Breakfast and NTEA Annual Meeting with keynote speaker Condoleezza Rice.
Show highlights
Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. (FCCC) recently partnered with UPS. The delivery company announced plans to purchase 1,000 propane package delivery trucks and install an initial 50 fueling stations at UPS locations. The investment in propane vehicles and infrastructure is approximately $70 million.
The propane fleet will replace gasoline- and diesel-fueled vehicles used largely in rural areas in Louisiana and Oklahoma with another potential 40,000 vehicles from other states pending. The vehicles on these routes can travel up to 200 miles on a tank of propane. Operations will begin by mid-2014 and be completed early next year.
Contractors are always looking for more space in the cab, whether it is for more crew, materials or even a bathroom, so FCCC has teamed up with walk-in van manufacturer Morgan Olsen and introduced the market’s first walk-in cab chassis.
During the show, ROUSH CleanTech unveiled the first propane autogas fueled Ford F-59 to serve FedEx Ground’s high mileage route in Buffalo. The owner of the vehicle, Jon Chase, CEO of Chase Delivery in Lancaster, N.Y., estimates his company will save more than $25,000 over the lifetime of the alternatively fueled delivery truck.
Already experiencing lower fuel and maintenance costs, Chase expects a less than three-year return on investment. Because of this, he encourages other FedEx Ground contractors to switch to propane autogas. Chase said that FedEx supports their contractors making emission reduction measures.
Also at the show, Ram Commercial Vehicles, showcased the ProMaster van, which feature high roof features and interior standard height of 76-in. Interior cargo space offers 530-cu.ft., with an interior payload capacity at 4,417 lbs.
Ram also showcased its smaller commercial vehicle, the Ram C/V Tradesman, a commercial vehicle that features up to 11.5-cu.ft. of class exclusive in-floor storage.
Always a show crowd pleaser, the Chevy Silverado features a boxed frame, larger axles and an available Max Trailering Package allow Silverado to offer a class-leading trailering capacity of up to 12,000 pounds.
All about conserving fuel on primarily city runs, Nissan showed off the concept e-NV200, featuring 100% electric Leaf tech, offering low cost of operation.
Supreme Corp. featured its FiberPanel HC, which includes a durable fiberglass reinforced honeycomb sidewall material. The material allows for increased payload capacity. Its polypropylene core does not absorb moisture, and the overall body weight increases fuel economy.
The Maranda Sprinter Service Body can be loaded up to 5,000 pounds and features bigger 48” boxes, resulting in higher storage capacity.
How about a tool charging station right out of your work truck? A cool company called Go Power! featured solar panels that you can place right onto the roof of your vehicle. These Solar Flex solar panels are designed to provide a powerful charging solution for batteries. According to the company, the panels use high-efficiency monocrystalline cells that produce more power per square foot than any other flat panel on the market.
As any contractor knows, security is so important on the jobsite. Reading Truck Body’s LatchMatic Smart Shield is an updated passive security system available exclusively on the Reading CSV (Classic Service Van) with a LatchMatic package. Now you can lock and unlock your work truck compartments hands-free.
According to Craig Bonham, vice president of sales, Reading Truck Body LLC, “Our biggest influence in research and design is our customer.”
The Work Truck Show returns to Indianapolis March 4–6, 2015. For additional information about The Work Truck Show, visit www.ntea.com.