In addition to driving work trucks featuring the latest advanced fuel technologies, attendees at The Work Truck Show 2018 will have the chance to engage with some of the newest technology and efficiency solutions available to today’s fleets, including drone delivery, as part of the popular Ride-and-Drive. Also new to the event this year is an interactive manufacturing education center.

The Work Truck Show takes place March 6–9 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. Educational sessions, Green Truck Summit and Fleet Technical Congress begin March 6, and the exhibit hall is open March 7–9. The Work Truck Show Ride-and-Drive and Mobile Learning Center are available to all attendees March 7–8 from noon–4:30 p.m.

The new mobile learning center is an on-the-go classroom located on the Ride-and-Drive grounds. It is equipped with examples of manufacturing technologies and systems available today and being developed for the future — such as 3-D printing and scanning, laser cutting and robotics. The interactive experience also features online training resources and additional information on education and career pathways in manufacturing.

“One of the greatest problems facing our nation, which is extremely true in the work truck industry, is finding and retaining solid employees who are dedicated to their craft,” says Doyle Sumrall, NTEA managing director. “The mobile learning center is a great opportunity to highlight how far manufacturing careers have come from the three ‘Ds’ of yesteryear: dirty, dark and dangerous. These days, it’s a skillful combination of cutting-edge technology and hands-on hard work, with serious viability and growth potential, which show attendees will be exposed to when they visit the center.”

Complementing the mobile learning center — which is presented by Visionary Center for Sustainable Communities (VCSC), an organization dedicated to providing training, counseling, and resources within advanced manufacturing and other industries — will be a concurrent education session on Tuesday, March 6 from 3–4:15 p.m. titled “Solutions for Building a Skilled Manufacturing Workforce.” Presented by Bill Gaines, chairman and senior engineer of Transfer Flow Inc., and Kirste Webb, CF APMP Fellow and executive director of the VCSC, the session will provide innovative solutions for helping educational institutions and manufacturers build a pipeline of skilled employees to help fill the current and continuing demand for skilled workers in manufacturing.