The Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS) kicked off the truck show season for the 52nd time on March 21-23, 2024, at the Kentucky Expo Center in Louisville, KY. And with some great changes made this year, the show was once again a rousing success. With over 56,000 attendees from all 50 states and 58 countries, 877 exhibitors from 47 states and 15 countries, over one million square feet of exhibits, events, and education, and 175 show trucks parked out front for the first time, MATS was a great start to the 2024 truck show season. And bringing back the Big Rig Build Off after a 13-year hiatus was just the icing on the cake (see cover feature).
Flying in on Tuesday to start getting ready for this monumental event, our digital content manager and webcast host John Testa joined us later that same evening, as well. After another round of airline shenanigans (which seems to be an annual tradition when flying to MATS these days), we all arrived in Louisville later than planned. After getting checked in at our nearby AirBNB house, where most of our crew stayed together, we closed out the day with a very late dinner and a few drinks at a local sports bar called Hoops. As it would turn out, we would spend several nights at Hoops!
Wednesday is the day we head over to the Expo Center to set up our booth. Since that is a less hectic day, it is also a good time to visit with folks and chat with truck show friends we might not get to see very often. Outside was cold and windy, but the sun was out, so that helped make things more comfortable. Setting up our booth in the North Wing where we have been for the past ten or more years, past cover trucker and friend Ron Beer made sure our pallets got safely to Louisville and were sitting in our booth, ready to be unpacked, when we arrived.
Later that afternoon, more of our team arrived, including Tim and April Sieben, Eric Hill, and Jacob Gunderson, who we brought in to help us with photography. After going to Costco and the grocery store for supplies, we headed back to the show lot to help photograph trucks entered in the light show, for the PKY team, to be used at the award’s ceremony and in their souvenir book. This is not the “official” light show which is open to the public, so it is a lot easier for us to get all the pictures we need. But as nice as the day was, once the sun went down, it got very cold – like in the mid-30s. But we got it done… and then headed back to Hoops for another late night dinner.
As mentioned, for the first time ever, the show trucks were moved from the back lot to the front, and boy what a difference that made. For one thing, it put the PKY Truck Championships front and center for all the arriving attendees, VIPs, and vendors. There was also more space out there, so in addition to having more trucks, they were also parked further apart, which made taking pictures a lot easier and better. Typically, the back lot would fill up at around 130 trucks, but this year they were able to accommodate 175 of them. And let me tell you, this was one of the most amazing collections of trucks we have ever seen at this show – maybe any show!
With the show opening on Thursday at 10:00 AM, the first few hours were an exclusive VIP session that required a special badge to enter. After the VIP session ended, the show opened to the public at 1:00 PM. Thursday is typically the day business gets done, because all the “big wigs” are there, and the crowds are smaller. However, over the past few years, Thursday has become a pretty busy day. Although it was still chilly and breezy outside, the sun was shining, so I took advantage of that and headed outside to start taking pictures of the trucks.
Always planning a full schedule, the show producers at MATS made sure there was plenty to see and do, including their Pro Talks Seminar Series, which this year featured almost 40 seminars covering a wide range of topics, over the show’s three days. After the show closed for the day at 6:00 PM, there was an Opening Reception in the lobby featuring food, drinks, live entertainment, and activities, including bourbon and craft beer tasting, the “Wall of Fame” annual induction ceremony, and a silent auction, which raised over $6,000 for the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund. But for us, on Thursday night, it was back out into the cold for the official light show to take more pictures.
Another cool thing that was happening at the show was “Ride and Drives” featuring two Kenworth trucks. Being the only true OEM Manufacturer in attendance as an exhibitor inside, Kenworth also had a W990 hooked to a dry van and a T880 dump truck outside for CDL holders to test drive. Both these trucks featured Kenworth’s new TX18 automatic transmission, and both of them, whether folks realized it at first or not, were fully loaded! Kenworth wanted to prove that their automatic transmissions could shift properly and pull loads effortlessly – and from what we heard, they did.
Friday was day two of the show. On that day, it was rainy and cold outside, so most of us stayed in the booth all day – which was a good thing, because when the weather is bad outside, everyone comes inside, so it is extra busy. That day, we saw and talked to lots of great folks. Our old friend Josh Rietveld and his 16-year-old son Carson came down from Illinois to hang out with us, as well, so that was cool. That night, MATS hosted their annual concert and after party, which featured “The Steel Woods” band and Tony Justice, in Freedom Hall at the Expo Center.
We did not attend the concert, and instead went to hang out with the Pickett brothers, Rod and Kevin, who were hosting a Launch Party for their upcoming television show at The Crowne Plaza Hotel across the street from the Expo Center. This place was packed. With a capacity of 500 people, it was pretty close to being filled. After some snacks and drinks, they played a fun preview video, then Rod and Kevin, along with Bryan “Bossman” Martin from 4 State Trucks and the show’s producer, took to the stage to talk about “the good old days” of Trick My Truck, and what was to come with the new show. Then, it was back to Hoops for dinner!
With Saturday being the third and final day of the show, the rain stopped, the sun came out, and the warmer weather returned. With the awards being handed out at 10:00 AM, the ceremony took about an hour, and then we all headed back outside to get pictures of the big winners with their trophies. The show ended at 4:00 PM, and then we tore down our booth, which did not take very long, since we went through ALL of our magazines, posters, and centerfolds! After our pallet was packed, we went to Mark’s Feed Store (a popular BBQ joint) with 14 of our friends to celebrate another successful MATS in the books.
As mentioned before, the caliber of trucks out on that front lot were head and shoulders above past years – probably the best we have ever seen, and we’ve been attending MATS since 2003. Many folks brought out brand new builds, while others spruced up their existing rides. You can look at the winner’s list to see who won what, but a few of the standout trucks for us were Austin Gottman’s gold and silver 2024 Pete 389, Dillan Blubaugh’s brown and tan 2022 Pete 389, Brant Arnold’s 1970 copper Peterbilt, Tim Cody’s two-tone blue 2017 Peterbilt 389, Joel Anker’s black, pink and blue 1990 Kenworth W900L, and Travis Sancken’s red and blue 2019 Peterbilt 389 and matching MAC LTT tanker. But there were so many other cool rides!
Walking around the show, a few of the new Peterbilt Model 589s made their way into some booths inside (Iowa Customs, Dynaflex, Peterbilt Genuine Accessories, and Fitzgerald Trailers), and at least one was parked on the lot outside, hooked to a frameless end dump, as well (All Seasons Trucking). It seems that, with just a little bit of work, maybe these new rides won’t be so bad after all, and some folks were looking to be one of the first to prove that.
We would like to thank everyone who came to MATS to help us including Tim, April, Shannon, Eric, Jacob, Jed, JT, Trey, Kelly, Josh, and Carson. Special thanks to Ron Beer for hauling our pallets out and back. Also, thanks to Bruce Campell (March 2024 cover trucker) and Keith Bothwell (February 2024 cover trucker) for bringing their trucks out and distributing magazines by them. A few other people we enjoyed spending some extra time with were John Murray, Ron Kelsey, Mike Blanton, Shane Boullion, Mike Horan, Trent Bronkhorst, and Stephanie Haas.
Big thanks go out to our man John Testa who worked his butt off all week and provided some awesome live coverage from MATS. Thanks to our sponsors who made all those livestreams possible including Dickerson Custom Trucks, Lifetime, Renegade, AMCAN, M & J Truck Sales, NTA, High Bar/Minimizer, Valley Chrome, Time 2 Shine, Pittsburgh Power, HD Equipment, VDZ Customs, and Carpenter Custom Trucks.
A few other “bonus” events that took place after the show closed on Saturday night were the MAC Trailer Winter Nationals Championship Pulling Event in Freedom Hall, and the PKY Truck Parade, presented by Big Rig Videos, that encouraged truckers to take a final victory lap on the Circle of Champions around the Expo Center. This was a great photo and video opportunity, and many took advantage of it.
There is so much happening at MATS, it is hard to try to describe it all. In short, if you have never been, you need to be at MATS next year to experience this monumental event, which was another rousing success in 2024. Mark your calendars now for March 27-29, 2025, and don’t miss out on all the fun next year!
EDITOR’S NOTE: Special thanks to Colby Williams, Stephanie Haas, and Jacob Gunderson for providing some of the photos for this show report. And this year’s winners were:
ANTIQUE ORIGINAL BOBTAIL:
1st Greg Kendall, 1982 Kenworth K100;
2nd Brian Stevens, 1976 Peterbilt 352;
3rd Tanner Stroup, 1984 Peterbilt 359.
ANTIQUE CUSTOM BOBTAIL:
1st Andrew Goettsch, 1979 International 4070B;
2nd Raiko Graveran, 1995 Freightliner FLD;
3rd Jarret Landry, 1988 Peterbilt 379.
BEST ANTIQUE CUSTOM COMBO:
Jason Sanders, 1994 Kenworth W900L & 2014 Great Dane.
BEST ANTIQUE ENGINE:
Tanner Stroup, 1984 Peterbilt 359.
BEST ANTIQUE PAINT:
Greg Kendall, 1982 Kenworth K100.
BEST ANTIQUE INTERIOR:
Brian Stevens, 1976 Peterbilt 352.
NEW TRUCK BOBTAIL:
1st Austin Gottman, 2024 Peterbilt 389;
2nd Matt Strottman, 2024 Peterbilt 389;
3rd Austin Duffield, 2024 Peterbilt 389.
NEW TRUCK COMBO:
1st Chase Hartman, 2022 Peterbilt 389 & 2019 MAC dump.
FIRST SHOW BOBTAIL:
1st Adam Long, 2006 Kenworth W900L;
2nd Thomas Christoferson, 2011 Peterbilt 389;
3rd Rodney Griffin, 2024 Peterbilt 389X.
FIRST SHOW COMBO:
1st Daryl Koch, 2024 Peterbilt 389 & 2024 MAC;
2nd Samuel Brown, 2023 Peterbilt 389 & 2024 MAC;
3rd Derck Allen, 2024 Peterbilt 389X & 2024 East.
WORKING TRUCK COMPANY OWNED:
1st David Ruhkamp, 2024 Peterbilt 389 & 2024 Landoll 455;
2nd Nick Lierz, 2020 Peterbilt 389 & 2023 Western belt trailer;
3rd Paul Dillon, 2023 Peterbilt 389.
WORKING TRUCK BOBTAIL:
Best of Show Tim Cody Jr., 2017 Peterbilt 389;
2nd James Mitchell, 2023 Peterbilt 389;
3rd Dillan Blubaugh, 2022 Peterbilt 389.
WORKING TRUCK COMBO:
Best of Show Cody Davis, 2022 Kenworth W900L & 2023 Merritt;
2nd Gary Jones, 1999 Peterbilt 379 & 2024 XL Alpha;
3rd Robert Riddell, 2022 Kenworth W900 & 2023 Trail King.
WORKING DUMP TRUCK:
1st Scott Snyder, 2024 Kenworth W900L & 2024 Trailstar;
2nd Bruce Campbell, 2022 Peterbilt 389 & 2018 Rogue transfer set;
3rd Mark Gore, 2023 Kenworth W990.
WORKING TRUCK BOBTAIL LIGHTS:
1st Austin Duffield, 2024 Peterbilt 389;
2nd Tim Cody Jr., 2017 Peterbilt 389;
3rd Ryan Stiens, 2024 Peterbilt 389.
WORKING TRUCK COMBO LIGHTS:
1st Daryl Koch, 2024 Peterbilt 389 & 2024 MAC flatbed;
2nd Clayton Heise, 2024 Peterbilt 389 & 2022 Wilson;
3rd Scott Snyder, 2024 Kenworth W900L & 2024 Trailstar.
WORKING TRUCK ENGINE:
1st Dillan Blubaugh, 2022 Peterbilt 389;
2nd Cody Davis, 2022 Kenworth W900L & 2023 Merritt;
3rd Bryan Retych, 2014 Peterbilt 389.
WORKING TRUCK INTERIOR CUSTOM SLEEPER:
1st Daniel & Phyllis Snow, 1996 Freightliner Classic XL & 2006 Utility 4000.
WORKING TRUCK INTERIOR CAB ONLY:
1st James Mitchell, 2023 Peterbilt 389;
2nd Cody Davis, 2022 Kenworth W900L & 2023 Merritt;
3rd Bryan Retych, 2014 Peterbilt 389.
WORKING TRUCK INTERIOR OEM SLEEPER:
1st Tim Cody Jr., 2017 Peterbilt 389;
2nd Dillan Blubaugh, 2022 Peterbilt 389.
WORKING TRUCK BOBTAIL PAINT:
1st Bryan Retych, 2014 Peterbilt 389;
2nd James Mitchell, 2023 Peterbilt 389;
3rd Dillan Blubaugh, 2022 Peterbilt 389.
WORKING TRUCK COMBO PAINT:
1st Tarik Al-Amin II, 2023 Kenworth W900 & 2023 Great Dane Super Seal;
2nd Scott Snyder, 2024 Kenworth W900L & 2024 Trailstar;
3rd John McCormick, 2021 Kenworth W900L & 2022 MAC pneumatic.
LIMITED MILEAGE BOBTAIL:
Best of Show Fred Rethwisch, 1986 International 9670;
2nd Andrew Ditz, 1959 Peterbilt 351;
3rd Andrew Pagels, 1972 Peterbilt 359;
4th Matt Riggle, 1978 Kenworth W900A;
5th Joel Anker, 1990 Kenworth W900L.
LIMITED MILEAGE BOBTAIL NO MILES:
Best of Show Jacob Bonham, 2022 Peterbilt 389;
2nd Casey Conrey, 2008 Kenworth W900;
3rd Tyler Van Der Zwaag, 2023 Kenworth W900L;
4th Gary Jones, 2018 Peterbilt 389;
5th Brian Harney, 2022 Kenworth W900B.
LIMITED MILEAGE COMBO:
Best of Show Troy Massey, 2005 Peterbilt 379 & 2021 Galyean tanker;
2nd Travis Sancken, 2019 Peterbilt 389 & 2023 MAC tanker;
3rd Dane Hartman, 2024 Peterbilt 389 & 2024 Wilson;
4th Zach Strayer, 2023 Peterbilt 389 & 2023 Wilson;
5th Dill McKinney, 2024 Peterbilt 389X & 2024 MAC flatbed.
BEST LIMITED MILES BOBTAIL LIGHTS:
Matt Riggle, 1978 Kenworth W900A.
BEST BOBTAIL LIGHTS NO MILES:
Casey Conrey, 2008 Kenworth W900.
BEST LIMITED MILES COMBO LIGHTS:
Troy Massey, 2005 Peterbilt 379 & 2021 Galyean tanker.
BEST LIMITED MILES BOBTAIL PAINT:
Casey Conrey, 2008 Kenworth W900.
BEST LIMITED MILES COMBO PAINT:
Kevin Hunter, 2024 Kenworth W900L & 2024 Talbert.
BEST LIMITED MILES INTERIOR:
Zach Strayer, 2023 Peterbilt 389 & 2023 Wilson.
BEST LIMITED MILES ENGINE:
Travis Sancken, 2019 Peterbilt 389 & 2023 MAC LTT tanker.
PKY BEST USE OF CHROME BOBTAIL:
Mason Schwake, 2024 Peterbilt 389.
PKY BEST USE OF CHROME COMBO:
Jason Sanders, 1994 Kenworth W900L & 2014 Great Dane dry van.
TROY “THE LEGEND” HUDDLESTON MEMORIAL AWARD:
Andrew Ditz/PMI, 1959 Peterbilt 351.
ROCKWOOD’S RUNNIN’ LATE AWARD:
Dylan McCrabb, 2024 Peterbilt 389.
N.A.S.T. BEST OF SHOW BOBTAIL:
Austin Gottman, 2024 Peterbilt 389.
N.A.S.T. BEST OF SHOW COMBO:
Dane Hartman, 2024 Peterbilt 389 & 2024 Wilson Pacesetter.
PEOPLE’S CHOICE:
Jeff Hoker, 2023 Peterbilt 389 & 2023 Great Dane.
BIG RIG BUILD OFF CHAMPION 2024:
Brian & Tom Davis, Davis Brothers Designs.
