Drivers, start your engines! The Mid-America Trucking Show is days away, and we can’t wait to reunite with our trucking fam in Louisville, Kentucky.
With more than 800 vendors, 50,000 attendees, and over 1,000,000 square feet of industry-leading technology, speakers, and the most beautiful rigs around, MATS is what we wait all year for (and spend the rest of the year talking about).
With 3 days packed to the brim with sights to see, demos to try, and people to meet, we’ve created the ultimate list of can’t-miss speaking sessions, designed to cover a variety of topics without taking up the full day. Check out our top picks for Mid-America Trucking Show speaking sessions.
Want to know how to increase your MPGs? Hear from some amazing drivers who are regularly reaching 10+ miles per gallon hauling real loads on real routes. These elite drivers who participated in the North American Council for Freight Efficiency’s Run on Less fuel economy demonstrations will share their best practices and help you get more miles out of a gallon of diesel.
For most trucking owners, growing from a handful of trucks to a profitable mid-sized fleet is a difficult leap to make. Denny Wyatt, owner of Apex Logistics and former president of the California Trucking Association, joins us for this enlightening session to describe his journey starting out as a truck driver and growing his business to 500 trucks.
Denny will focus on the mindset changes and operational practices that are required to go from small- to mid-sized fleets and beyond. He will discuss key metrics all trucking owners should track, as well as how to set your business up for growth.
Denny is a dynamic speaker with a wealth of knowledge from his 40+ years in trucking. While the purpose of this talk is to arm trucking owners with actionable advice they can implement immediately, anyone interested can expect to be entertained and inspired by Denny’s story.
3. Truckload Market Update
Presented by: DAT Freight & Analytics
Friday, 11:45 PM–12:15 PM
East Hall - ProTalks Stage
Core topics to be covered by DAT industry experts:
Truckload market conditions with a full market update.
Driver-oriented business conditions & lifestyle.
Current issues in the economy
Economic outlook
4. Partners in Business: Owner-operator business performance benchmarking and Q&A with Overdrive and ATBS
Presented by: Randall Reilly
Friday, 1:45 PM–2:45 PM
B104 - ProTalks Theater
In a time of uncertain demand, cost inflation, and topsy-turvy economic forecasts, there has never been a better time for this important session. Arm yourself with the information you need to help chart a profitable path forward.
The long-running 'Partners In Business' program is a co-production of Overdrive magazine and owner-operator business consultants and tax specialists at ATBS. The owner-op business program will launch the 2023 update of its in-depth business manual with a presentation and Q&A led by ATBS Vice President, Mike Hosted, as well as Overdrive contributor and owner-op coach, Gary Buchs.
The host will present short- and long-term business trends with year-end 2023 revenue, cost, and income performance, derived from ATBS owner-operator clientele in independent and leased dry van, refrigerated, and flatbed segments. The numbers provide benchmarks for you to measure your own operation against and will provide a springboard for discussion about business best practices.
5. Let’s Get Digital: How drivers use mobile apps to save time and money
Presented by: Relay Payments
Saturday, 1:00 PM–1:30 PM
East Hall - ProTalks Stage
Trucking has been slow to adapt to new technologies, but the industry is catching up fast with digital tools to better manage loads, increase hours of service, and improve operations and payments. In this panel, moderated by CEO of Relay Payments, Spencer Barkoff, hear from a carrier who uses technology to put drivers first and from veteran truckers using digital tools to improve their lives and livelihoods. If you’re looking for a crash course on which apps to use to improve your driving experience, this is the panel you want to attend.
Whether you’re heading to the Mid-America Trucking Show to test out new technology, learn from leading experts in the industry, or snack on booth treats all afternoon (Relay is famous for our booth snacks, by the way), we hope you’ll stop by Booth 19116 to hear all about why drivers are using Relay to streamline their operations from start to finish with a digital payments app that simplifies the payment process, finds on-route fuel discounts, and allows you to book and pay for parking, all from the cab of your truck.
We’ll see you in Kentucky, friends!