ATA, HDMA announce partnership to bring large biennial trucking show to U.S.

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The American Trucking Associations announced Thursday, March 31 it has entered into an agreement with the Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association — the group representing North American truck suppliers — to bring a new trucking trade show to the North American market.

ATA bills the event as one intended to meet demand in the trucking industry for a prominent North American truck and transportation industry trade event. ATA President and CEO Bill Graves said the event “promises to bring all the major players in our industry under one roof.”

Preliminary plans call for the event to be in early fall in odd-numbered years opposite a similar, already established European-based show held in even-numbered years at roughly the same time.

“In recent years, it has become increasingly clear there is demand from consumers and manufacturers for a North American trucking industry exhibition with the prominence and importance befitting this essential industry,” said Steve Handschuh, president and CEO of the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers, the broader group under which the Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association is based. “Today we are pleased to take the first step toward making that show a reality.”

The three parties who’ve entered into an agreement to develop the show — ATA, MEMA and trade show firm Messe Frankfurt — issued this joint statement about the event:

“Today’s announcement is only the first step of our journey. We intend to fully explore what creating a show of this kind will mean for the transportation industry, as well as for commercial vehicle OEMs, systems and component suppliers and other supply chain elements, the investment community, and trade, financial and general media. It is our hope that we will soon be able to announce what the next step in that journey will be and eventually, the announcement of a date for our inaugural event.”