I often tell fellow drivers I meet out on the road that MATS is a show you need to see at least once in your trucking career! Actually, I personally recommend attending each and every year, due to the rapidly changing climate of our industry. With the rules and regulations governing our way of life changing more rapidly than we can keep up with and technology clamoring to outpace even the pace of that, if you are not abreast of the latest and greatest, you are begging to be left in the dust!
This year was no exception to a wonderful display of the latest in technology from all aspects of the trucking industry. Being like the "Disneyland" for truckers, this show is not one you can do in one day. I get to stare at it from a different perspective, working the Freightliner Team Run Smart booth with my fellow Pros, but you'd better believe I made it out a couple times to occasionally scour what there is to satisfy the side of me that lends itself to shiny things. This year the show trucks were dressed in their best and definitely out in force! I 
know the show trucks that always attend these events are not the most fuel efficient trucks, but boy do they sure look nice! When I think into how much time it takes to prepare trucks like these, it makes me happy to know that all these owners take that kind of pride in their rides! For instance, how much do you have to love showing off your truck to polish them out to the extent of these eye-catching beauties?
Of course you may pin me for being partial to what I had to look at all day in the Freightliner booth, but the Freightliner Supertruck was my favorite thing on display. Being that I work the show representing the brand, I would like to be honest and say that I would still have been equally as impressed even if I had no Freightliner affiliation. The many who viewed this cutting-edge piece of futuristic truck technology were blown away by what may be on the horizon for trucks of the future, as demonstrated by this project. My hats are off to all of the men and women who had a part in putting this truck together, as I know just what a monumental task it is to come up with something like this from the ground up and the numerous hands that must have been involved!
This year we were able to bring out the Freightliner NASCAR hospitality trailer, where all of the Team Run Smart crew came out to offer free coffee (and a warm shelter from the frigid weather) to all the drivers that were out at Papa John’s parking lot before and after show hours. It also provided a great way to talk one-on-one with many other fellow drivers, share stories and even answer questions about the three beautiful trucks Team Run Smart Pros Henry Albert, Jeff Clark, and Linda & Bob Caffee had on display behind the trailer. As always, the Papa John’s lot never disappoints and I was able to meet a lot of great people and witness a lot of money being raised for several charity organizations dedicated to helping truckers in need.
There is something to be said about truckers of all kinds of hauls coming together to represent a common interest. Whether you pull a bull wagon or transport groceries, we all share in the fact that it is our job to get the goods delivered safely. These common roots in what we all do makes it an important duty for all of us to come together at events such as this to share ideas. Through the advancement of technology, camaraderie between fellow drivers, and learning through the teachings of the various forms of education spread throughout, we will only become that much better at what it is we aim to accomplish in our daily lives as drivers if we continue to network at events like these. There was definitely not a shortage of vendors or patrons in attendance this year and it was nice to have a constant flow of foot traffic through the booth, ride-and-drive area and hospitality trailer for the entire duration of the show. Thanks to all in the industry who participated this year for bringing out the best that trucking has to offer, which only helps make us more successful and efficient as a community of like-minded business individuals.