Polish your boots, dust off your cowboy hat and mark your calendars now for the 8th annual Great American Trucking Show, set for Aug. 24-26 at the Dallas Convention Center. The industry’s second-largest trucking show is gearing up to be the best yet.
For fleet executives, the must-attend event is the 2006 Fleet Forum, presented by GATS, the Texas Motor Transportation Association (TMTA) and Commercial Carrier Journal. Last year’s Fleet Forum was a huge success attended by more than 200 CEOs, fleet managers, safety directors and operations managers from companies as varied as Schneider National, Dart Transit, Men’s Wearhouse, Fikes Truck Lines, Blue Bell Creameries, Diamond Transportation and many others.
This year, keynote speaker Roger Staubach will kick off the event with a motivational speech reflecting his core belief: “Serving the Client through Teamwork.” Staubach, a former Heisman Trophy winner and Pro Football Hall of Famer, led the Dallas Cowboys to two Super Bowl victories, and he also is CEO of a successful real estate development company.
Fleet Forum sessions address some of the hottest trends and issues facing fleet owners today, including:
- Reducing Idling and Increasing Profits
- Simulators: The Next Wave in Driver Training
- Trucking’s Labor Shortage: The View from Both Sides
- The Future and Present of Biodiesel
- Benchmarking Owner-Operators: How Do Yours Compare?
- 13 Risks You Shouldn’t Overlook
The forum is an excellent opportunity to network with other fleet managers, owners and executives. And if you work with owner-operators, encourage them to attend GATS as well for business education through Overdrive’s Partners in Business program and some great educational sessions presented by TMTA.
After the Thursday, Aug. 24 Fleet Forum session, attendees are invited to the famous Texas landmark, Gilley’s nightclub, for an evening of boot-stomping fun. GATS also features star-studded entertainment, new products and the Pride and Polish truck beauty contest. Free concerts include Aaron Tippin, sponsored by Mobil Delvac on Friday, Aug. 25; and Ronnie Milsap on Saturday, Aug. 26, sponsored by Volvo.
More than 45,000 trucking professionals from all over the United States attended last year, visiting 506 exhibitors, networking with friends and enjoying the buzz of the show. So bring the whole family and plan to enjoy GATS. Visit this site or call 888-349-4287.
