Mid-America Trucking Show 2016: Getting Geared Up for the King of Trucking Shows

Our diesel specialists will be at MATS 2016 to showcase the latest from Borg Warner Turbo Systems, our diesel performance products, specialty tools, and more!

In just over a week, Area Diesel will be sending a few of our best and brightest to exhibit at the Mid-America Trucking Show, commonly called MATS 2016 or even the admittedly redundant MATS truck show—doesn’t much matter what you call it so long as you’ve got your trip booked. The undisputed top dog when it comes to trucking shows, MATS 2016 marks year 45 for the show! That’s an impressive run. We’re always geared up to attend MATS, but this year’s events schedule has us more excited than ever to head to Louisville.

With well over a million square feet of space to exhibit the best products in the diesel industry, MATS 2016 has ample room to accommodate the nearly 1,100 exhibitors expected to join our own diesel specialists at the show. Good thing too, because organizers anticipate 80,000+ attendees, who will need space to make their way from event to event: PKY Truck Beauty contest for show trucks, 18 seminars on trucking, the Fleet Forum for trucking fleet execs, and Craig Morgan on stage for the MATS Concert.

What’s in store at MATS 2016 from Area Diesel?

Alright, first things first. We seriously can’t wait to show off Area Diesel’s latest performance products. Namely, the Borg Warner turbo products we’re bringing along could have the Dyno sweating to keep up with your power output next time you compete. That may be stretching it a little, but the fact is Borg Warner turbos can help your rig deliver truly badass power. As one of only nine suppliers officially awarded the Borg Warner Turbo Franchise Distributor status, the Area Diesel crew is who to talk turbo with.

Come talk trucks with the Area Diesel boys at Booth #61044.

Like other years we’ve exhibited at the Mid-America Trucking Show, our boys will also bring a number of other breakthrough diesel performance products to showcase. So attendees can learn how each one would impact their rigs, we’ll be glad to go deep on the details about any Area Diesel product—from our Truck Edition Modules, which increase fuel economy by up to 10 - 20% and boost horsepower by up to 35%, to our Magnum OEM replacement parts for most makes & models to our overwhelmingly popular diesel Specialty Tools for the trickiest jobs. In other words, whether you attend MATS 2016 for work or play, Area Diesel can show you ways to push your truck beyond factory performance limits.

Better quit reading for a second and add this near the top of your Things To Do at Mid-America Trucking Show 2016 list: Stop by Booth #61044 anytime during the 3-day exhibition so Area Diesel can show you how our latest diesel power products will dramatically improve your performance. And look, we’d talk about your truck all damn day, so when you’re ready to hit the next booth, just tell us and we’ll pump the brakes.

What’s the MATS Truck Show all about?

There are plenty of trucking shows Area Diesel gets excited to attend each year, but we understand why the Mid-America Trucking Show is widely considered the powerhouse. Just look at the events lineup for MATS 2016; it reads like a week-long schedule packed into a single weekend. MATS didn’t start out as the be-all, end-all event for the diesel industry, though.

The first-ever MATS, back in 1972, drew a mere 4,000 people and about 80 exhibiting companies. Within 10 years, participation quadrupled, and then some, to 20,000 attendees and 270 exhibitors. Jump ahead another decade or so, and the number of attendees more than doubled, hitting 50,000. Where there are attendees, you can bet innovative companies will be there to exhibit, so by ’97, the MATS truck show boasted over 1,000 exhibitors, spurring even more interest from attendees.

Last year marked the height of attendance at MATS with a whopping 81,768 people converging in Louisville to learn about diesel trucks and check out products from exactly 1,064 exhibitors, including Area Diesel. There’s an obvious reason MATS earns interest from so many: The organizers never fail to put on a show worth traveling for, and they’ve done it yet again this year.

The folks behind the Mid-America Trucking Show sure know how to host a good time.

Here are just a few events scheduled for MATS 2016 that will have trucking professionals and enthusiasts thinking, “Holy hell, I can’t possibly miss that!”:

• 27th annual PKY Truck Beauty Championship: Watch heavy-duty, working show trucks put it on the line for this coveted title.
• Educational Seminars: Catch your choice of 18 seminars with topics ranging from compliance to driver health to ELDs to getting a new trucking company rolling.
• Fleet Forum: Fleet owners and operators can get insights on the current economic state of the industry, ways tech advancements (connected trucks) are impacting fleets, and becoming or remaining an industry innovator.
• MATS 2016 Concert: Let loose with Craig Morgan in concert—for free!

Throw in the bonus of meeting countless good people who know the thrill of driving a power-packed truck, and you can see why Area Diesel wouldn’t miss the 2016 Mid-America Trucking Show if you paid us. We’ll see you there, at Booth #61044!