Commercial Truck Industry Reunites at Work Truck Week

Wed March 23, 2022
Work Truck Week

Among the many electric vehicles introduced at the show was this Chevrolet Silverado EV, scheduled for the 2024 model year and available in the fall of 2023.

There were smiles and handshakes all around when Work Truck Week 2022 returned to the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Ind., March 8 to 11. North America's largest work truck event often felt more like a long-awaited reunion than a tradeshow, as a verified 12,696 industry professionals gathered in person for the first time in two years.

Work Truck Week, which includes The Work Truck Show and Green Truck Summit, is produced annually by NTEA — the association for the work truck industry. Last year's event was virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Work Truck Week has always been the commercial vehicle industry hub, but this year felt extra special in light of everything we have been through since March 2020," said Steve Carey, NTEA president and CEO. "People were excited to be together, shake hands, share ideas and explore the latest trucks, equipment and technology. In many ways, it delivered the sense of normalcy that our industry needed."

While overall event attendance was down about 7 percent versus 2020, Green Truck Summit, a full-day program focused on clean energy trends for commercial vehicles, set a record with a verified 835 participants — an increase of more than 58 percent. The summit brings together government representatives, educators, fleets, manufacturers and innovators to provide updates on the work truck industry's path to zero emissions.

That path wound through the Work Truck Show exhibit hall, where electric vehicles and charging dominated the product introductions. Some of the new products included:

  • Shyft Group introduced Blue Arc EV Solutions, a new brand offering a trio of initial product offerings: a purpose-built commercial EV chassis, an all-electric Class 3 walk-in van, and a fully portable remote-controlled charging station called the Power Cube.
  • Ford Pro announced new charging hardware that's launching alongside the 2022 E-Transit all-electric cargo van currently shipping to dealers and 2022 F-150 Lightning Pro all-electric pickup arriving this spring.
  • SEA Electric introduced the Class 6 SV6 EV step van powered by its proprietary SEA-Drive power system and designed for the battery-electric last-mile delivery segment.
  • Lion Electric Company announced several key partnerships with truck upfitters to provide new fully electrified refrigerated, dry freight and aluminum stake body options for its Lion6 zero-emission urban truck.
  • Morgan Truck Body debuted its electrified refrigerated concept truck body on the Lion6 chassis, as well as a prototype 24-ft. dry freight cargo van body on a Navistar electric chassis.
  • Ram Commercial unveiled the new 2023 Ram ProMaster and announced that in 2023 it will introduce a battery-electric ProMaster designed with input from Amazon to include unique last-mile delivery features.
  • Chevrolet Commercial Vehicles showcased its 2024 Silverado EV fully electric truck and highlighted the fleet-oriented WT model.

Other "green" news included announcements related to customer adoptions of propane and biodiesel.

Hundreds of event attendees participated in the Work Truck Week Ride & Drive March 9 to 10. Ride & Drive featured 19 commercial vehicles with the latest advanced technologies, sustainability offerings and alternative fuel applications. Participants drove many of the vehicles on city streets.

For more Work Truck Week coverage, including press releases from exhibitors holding press conferences, photos, videos and educational session recaps, visit worktruckweek.com/coverage. Attendees who purchased a Green Truck Summit or Work Truck Week Conference Package can access on-demand educational content through April 13 by logging in to their WTW22 Planner at wts22.mapyourshow.com/8_0/login/login.cfm and selecting On-demand.

Work Truck Week returns to Indiana Convention Center March 7 to 10, 2023.

For more information, visit worktruckweek.com/wtw23signup.

(All photographs in this article are Copyright 2022 Construction Equipment Guide. All Rights Reserved.)



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Palfinger North America’s Brian Heffron (L) joined Juan Ibarra of hit TV Series Gold Rush fame to showcase his new Palfinger Pal Pro 72 mechanics truck.
(L-R): Mark Miller, national sales manager of Hiniker in Mankato, Minn., with Reggie Muellereile and Mike Zimprich, also of Hiniker, introduce the Hiniker 9300 series Torsion-Trip V-Plow. The new plow offers versatility with its deep-curled, flared wings that cast deep snow farther and higher, while providing more scoop capacity.
The Godwin Group, Dunn, N.C., had this decked out SCS Series truck body on hand. Chad Moreno of D&M Propane, Mishawaka, Ind., felt he needed a truck to match his jacket.
At the International Truck Press conference, Scott Renier, vice president and GM of Connected Service and Analytics, described the future of connected truck information integration with the OCC system, On Command, turning data analytics into insights and uptime into action.
The Tri-Ax Tonka Truck was a big draw. Laura Kopetsky Tri-Ax has built a reputation for reliability and professional service over the last four decades. Kopetsky started the company in 1980 with one truck and built a fleet of more than 40 trucks.
This fully restored Oshkosh airport plow truck with Bibeau Hardox stainless steel body at the Bibeau of Quebec, Canada, booth, is admired by Dustin Tanner of Knapheide Equipment in Quincy, Ill. “They did an absolutely perfect job restoring this truck, it looks like it could go to work today and move some snow,“ said Tanner.
Industry legend Dave Forsmark, product specialist of Western Products, Milwaukee, Wis., with the company’s MVP heavy-duty plow.
Dakota Bodies of Watertown, S.D., had one of its biggest dealers stop by its booth. (L-R) are Patrick Iwan, owner and president of Iron Valley Truck Equipment in St. Cloud, Minn.; Adele Perkins and Chad Myrvold, both of Iron Valley; and Brad Cordell, dealer representative of Dakota Bodies.
Paradise Trucking of Arnott, Wis., brought one of its Freightliners to display.
The crew of Cleveland Brothers Equipment Co. in Harrisburg, Pa., (L-R) are Brandon Fritz, Jesse Bridge and Greg Kohli with one of the trucks sold to John P. Halliday Trucking Inc.
Freightliner Trucks had a variety of work trucks on display, including this MT 106 model upfitted by Curry Supply and presented by Freightliner Truck’s Claire Glynn.
Hino Trucks’ Dominik Beckman (L) and Scott Offerman discussed the company’s range of work trucks.
Isuzu’s Bob Mooney greets attendees at the company’s display of work trucks engineered for a variety of applications.
Tony Beaver, fleet account manager of Monroe Truck Equipment in Monroe, Wis., brought this decked out 2021 Freightliner with an 11-ft. mouse ear trip plow and 10-ft. stainless steel live bottom floor as well as a Monroe 11-ft. underbody scraper. This truck is ready to be put to work in the heaviest of snow and ice conditions.
(L-R): Kory Jacobsma, inside sales manager of Maintainer Corp. of Iowa in Sheldon, Iowa, with a service truck for MacAllister CAT of Indianapolis, Ind. Brian McNeal, Eric Bowman and Joe Roller, all of McAllister CAT’s service crew, were on hand.
Jake Wetzel (L) and Josh Goodman of Doosan Portable Power, Statesville, N.C., had the company’s Platinum Series P185WKUB Tier 2 air compressor on hand.
Thomas Reed, truck accessories national manager of Highway Products in White City, Ore., brought “The Beast” to Work Truck Week. Highway Products offers service bodies, flatbeds and its newest product — the utility deck service body.
Mack Truck’s Granite 10x4 dump truck with Mack’s Command Steer advanced active steering system was on display.
Tim Wrinkle, construction and vocational truck manager of Mack Trucks holds a pressconference, to discuss expanding Mack into the vocational truck market. The new Granite platform is the perfect truck to meet the needsin this segment.
(L-R): Warren Allen, Harrison Overby, Brian Sherman and Becca Boyd of Elite Truck were on hand to discuss the company’s online retail services offering high-quality truck toolboxes and truck accessories.
Switch-n-Go/Amerideck’s Russ Wallace spoke with attendees about the company’s new hoist system at the show.
At the BOSS Snowplow booth, Ty Steinbrecher shows the new BOSS Snowrator.
Tim Schuh (L) of ABCO Services caught up with Fisher Plows’ Norm Klimko to discuss the company’s lineup of snow and ice control equipment.
Among the many electric vehicles introduced at the show was this Chevrolet Silverado EV, scheduled for the 2024 model year and available in the fall of 2023.
Lordstown Motors Corp. brought this version of the company’s electric truck to display at the show.
(L-R): J&J Truck Bodies and Trailers’ Rick Stouffer, Taylor Gontis and Quintin Wyandt were on hand to discuss the company’s line up of steel and aluminium dump bodies, trailers and pressure vacuum tanks.
Buyers Products’ Scott Moorman introduced the company’s new VMXII snowplow with key features including RapidLink attachment system, Floating A-frame and a fully enclosed hydraulic power system.
On display at the Ford Motor Company booth was the power behind the company’s electric F-150 pickup truck.