The National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA) travels to Chicago to hold its 2009 annual convention March 3-6 at McCormick Place West. In conjunction with the convention, the NTEA will stage the 45th Work Truck Show, billed by organizers as the "world’s largest vocational truck event," scheduled March 4-6.

More than 40 intensive educational programs will feature subject area experts covering such topics as:

• Truck specification.

• 2010 emission compliance.

• Industry trends and benchmarks.

• Fleet management.

• Vehicle lifecycle costing.

• Truck upfitting.

• Regulatory compliance.

"The beautiful new McCormick Place West gives us an excellent opportunity to bring the event back to the Midwest, which is the geographical center of our industry," says Andrew Outcalt, NTEA convention chairman and president of Meyer Products LLC and Swenson Spreader LLC.

Green Truck Summit Offered 

The event will again feature a one-day Green Truck Summit, offering four courses and 15 breakout sessions led by top industry and academic experts exploring such topics as technology deployment, fuel utilization, fleet and vehicle integration, and the cost justification of purchasing hybrids. Three additional courses related to hybrid trucks and fuel utilization will be offered during the conference’s main program.

The Work Truck Show will also present the latest in green technologies and vehicles in a dedicated Green Truck Equipment Pavilion. In addition, a green vehicle ride-and-drive will be available.

Show Covers Class 1-8 Market 

The Work Truck Show brings together vocational, municipal, and private truck fleet managers and truck buyers from the Class 1–8 market with hundreds of manufacturers, distributors, and dealers that produce the trucks and equipment critical to their work. The event also features industry-specific technical and business management training sessions on the show floor.

Established in 1964, the NTEA is one of the leading associations supporting the $131 billion work truck and trailer industry. 

Truck of the Year Voting Opens in January 

Online voting to select the 2009 Medium-Duty Truck of the Year will begin January 15, with the award slated to be presented at NTEA’s The Work Truck Show. Open to professional fleet managers only, the ballot will offer a full array of Class 4-6 medium-duty vehicles and vehicle series. The award is sponsored by Work Truck magazine.

"The trucks in this fleet segment are the workhorses for commercial applications," said Mike Antich, Work Truck editor. "From small local businesses to large national corporations, these trucks, vans, and SUVs play a critical role in contributing to the company bottom line."