LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Once again the Mid-America Trucking Show proved to be an exciting event this year, with many new products introduced to the industry.

As is always the case, the event featured back-to-back press conferences for three days straight as well as a massive trade show filled with exhibitors. Show organizers say this year’s MATS was the most successful to date, with more than 1,144 exhibitors from 46 states and 11 foreign countries.

Exhibits were strewn out over about a million square feet inside the Kentucky Exposition Center, in addition to a 200,000 sq. ft. lot outdoors. Organizers say more than 80,000 people visisted the trucking show, from 59 different countries.

“As more and more companies realize the power and reach of the Mid-America Trucking Show, we expect the show to continue to grow and surpass long-established show records,” said Toby Young, vice-president of Exhibit Management Associates. “The ever-increasing quality and quantity of our attendees will continue to attract the elite companies in the trucking industry and fuel our growth.”

If you couldn’t make it to the event yourself – don’t worry, we’ve got it covered. The next 40 pages include articles and photos of the new trucks and other equipment that were unveiled at the show.

There was certainly no shortage of news to report from this year’s show.

On the truck front, International officially unveiled its new ProStar Class 8 tractor to the public. The aerodynamic tractor features a bold new look that will be sure to turn heads when it hits the road. Peterbilt also overhauled its truck lineup with new aero, traditional, vocational and medium-duty trucks added.

Other manufacturers including Kenworth and Volvo also expanded their product line to provide customers with more choices in 2007 and beyond.

Some of the more interesting announcements were the battery-powered climate control systems that eliminate the need for idling. These will be available on several types of trucks in the coming years and will offer an alternative to auxiliary power units (APUs).

Not to be outdone, the APU manufacturers themselves also had some announcements, one being a partnership between Carrier Transicold and Teleflex to market the ComfortPro APU.

In addition to all this, the engine manufacturers further outlined their plans for meeting the 2007 emissions standards and several of them added new horsepower and torque ratings to their engine lineups.To catch up on everything that was announced at the show, enjoy the next 40 pages of the most comprehensive MATS coverage you’ll find!