Historically, the Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS) held every March in Louisville,
Kentucky is the place to be. New products are launched in abundance, great
predictions about the future of trucking are proclaimed, spirits are high,
opportunities plentiful and beautiful trucks gather. Drivers, manufacturers,
industry reps and people from all over the world come to walk for miles,
learn, earn, partake of the pork chop sandwiches, dance to the music of
top-shelf entertainment, and check out the awesome array of gleaming machines
in the back lot to see who may be crowned as the new reigning King (or Queen)
of the Show Trucks.
Well, this year, on March 22-24, Louisville was still the place to be, but the news wasn’t all good - not by a long shot. Instead of a year with dot-com start-ups and expansion, this year was more about cutbacks, layoffs, and an industry-wide downturn, expected to continue for the next 18-24 months. Enthusiasms were muted as all the major manufacturers reported declining revenues, shrinking profits and some concerns about the glut of used equipment. Each of them tried to put a good face on things hoping to maintain and enhance their existing customer bases. This industry, like most, is cyclical - upswings and downturns. But just knowing that there will be a bottom from which to rise does little to alleviate the concerns of all the folks affected by layoffs, reduced demand for goods and services, and rising costs.
In spite of tougher economic times, there were still more than 1100 vendors offering wares of every type and description, from trucks to trailers to insurance to jobs to aftermarket parts, computer software, tires, lubricants, tools straps, tarps, chrome, stainless, shiny stuff, smoke and mirrors - if it was truck-related, it was there. As people are holding on to their used equipment longer, due to declining resale values, the need for greater truck maintenance and refurbishing existing equipment comes into play. Why not re-do your sleeper, or put on a new one? Along with majoring your motor, maybe your tranny needs to be rebuilt - or while you’re replacing the floorboards in your trailer, perhaps you may want to add steps? And don’t forget the cleaning and polishing supplies. You could find it all at MATS 2001.
And then there was the music. Creedence Clearwater Revisited (sponsored by Freightliner) and the ever-popular Alabama (sponsored by Kenworth) entertained 17,000 fans at night, long after feet were weary - but not too tired to dance in the aisles!
Out on the back parking lot was where the action was - not just one but two truck beauty contests displayed the finest working show trucks on the road today. Presented jointly by Newport Communications and NAST (National Association of Show Trucks), the 1st Annual Paul K. Young Memorial Truck Show drew 110 truly remarkable trucks. The Stars and Stripes Championship Series concluded with the top 15 combinations and top 15 bobtails invited to a competition for over $130,000 in cash and prizes. These extraordinary working trucks exemplify the very best of working show truck competition. Each of the trucks met mileage requirements - either running a minimum of 75,000 miles per year, or, if used in a local application, the owner had to prove that he made his living with that truck.
Now you might say, “What could make any of these 136 trucks so special - they clean ‘em, they polish ‘em, they add a little bit of chrome and fancy stuff, so what?” OK, let’s take a brief look at a few - and just a little of what these owners have done to make their trucks stand out from the rest. Now keep in mind that these are working trucks - they run up and down the road on a regular basis.
“Almost Paradise” is the name of the truck owned by Marvin and Barbara Knight. Muraled with beach scenes and dolphins from front to back, top to bottom, with stainless steel lining the underside of the trailer, surrounded by palm trees, wafting coconut scented smoke and a waterfall cascading off the back axles, this amazing combo was awarded 1st Place in the Stars and Stripes (S&S) Championship Series and got a check for $30,000.
When “Keystone JR” (Darian Stephens) pulled onto the lot, jaws dropped and people stopped in their tracks. His custom purple 1996 Freightliner - a perennial show truck favorite – was enhanced with faint blue and purple checker boarding on his fenders, door frames, the inside of his hood and even the drive shaft! There were 4,000 checkers on the hood alone! His Detroit Series 60 engine is a work of art, with chrome and stainless that is truly blinding! Darian, as always, wore his trademark tuxedo on judging day.
Jerry Asbury’s “Trophy of Grace” is a 1999 KW W900L that is immaculate. Details include Spectralite neon lighting all around and pinstriping on everything from the axle housings to the transmission housing! The places that most people never see are as clean and detailed as the parts that are visible. This truck was the 1st Place Bobtail winner for S&S.
Ryan Radtke runs up and down the road every day in a truck owned by Trev Timblin Trucking. In addition to an amazing stainless steel wrapped undercarriage on the trailer with recessed LED lighting, this rig also features an inlaid wood floor in the interior of the tractor and in the battery box compartment. No grimy connections or dirt would have the nerve to invade this pristine set-up.
Interiors are nothing short of amazing in these trucks. Not just the stuff of jeweled switch extenders and chrome bezels - these trucks have chromed seat bases, specially designed flooring, cabinetry and so much more. In Manny and Trudy Serrano’s 2000 Pete with a custom ICT sleeper, Pergo flooring and a washer/dryer, along with custom oak cabinetry and lace-edged curtains make this truck feel like home. Thomas Smith (Smitty) and his 1996 Pete 379 with ICT sleeper really make trucking feel like the lap of luxury with smoked mirror ceilings, tapestry that extends from the cushions and covers in the back to the visors in front, elegant cherry-wood cabinets and a surround-sound entertainment system superior to most home systems!
Kermit Gribble and Tod Job enhanced their trucks with suicide doors. Kermit installed a Plexiglass teardrop in his hood so his chromed motor would be visible at all times. Charlie and Carol Grimes swept up four class trophies on their way to their first Best of Show Bobtail win in the Paul K. Young Memorial competition. At this, only their second show ever, their purple KW was chromed, polished, detailed and shined inside and out.
From all sections of the US and Canada, beautiful trucks came to compete. Clarence Falk, Mike Duffy and Billy Baker were among the Canadians who made their way across the border to bring home high honors with their gleaming rigs. And making a special trip across the country was no small feat for Chuck Prigge and Rick Torres of Sandvik Trucking. As qualifiers for the Stars & Stripes contest, Bill and Marie Sandvik decided to bring not just the drivers and their trucks, but their families as well for this incredible event.
Thousands of hours of labor, the help of family, friends, shops, sponsors, well-wishers and supporters go into making one of these trucks ready for competition. Seeing these gleaming reflections of the pride that drivers and owner-operators take in their profession is one of the best signs of hope for our industry to move in a positive direction. At the awards ceremony, more than 450 people packed the room to cheer for their friends and neighbors of the parking lot. Here is a list of all the 1st Place finishers:
STARS & STRIPES
CHAMPIONSHIPS
BOBTAIL:
Jerry Asbury
COMBINATION: Marvin & Barbara Knight
PAUL K. YOUNG
MEMORIAL SHOW
LIGHTS BOBTAIL:
(tie) Dennis Bradbury and Charles & Carol Grimes
LIGHTS COMBO: Chad Smith
ENGINE: David Blondeau
MURAL BOBTAIL: Bradley & Sparkey Teitler
MURAL COMBO: Clarence Falk
GRAPHICS BOBTAIL: Ned Kontogouris
CUSTOM SLEEPER: Bradley & Sparkey Teitler
OEM SLEEPER: Charles & Carol Grimes
1ST SHOW BOBTAIL: Woodard Transport.
1ST SHOW COMBO: Joe Switzenberg
ANTIQUE/NON-WORKING: Dutch Hamman
PROFESSIONAL SHOW TRUCK: Brandon Niesen
SPECIALIZED BOBTAIL: Ernie Vole
SPECIALIZED COMBO: Cory Kastner
COMPANY TRUCK BOBTAIL: Jamie Cade
COMPANY TRUCK COMBO: Clarence Falk
BOBTAIL 76-85: Jeff Tidey & Jon Tidey
COMBO 76-85: Bill Warner Jr.
BOBTAIL 86-94: Jerry Jeffries (Double J)
COMBO 86-94: Jerry Altadonna
BOBTAIL 95-98: Norman Pike
COMBO 95-98: (tie) W.J. Thornton and Joe Switzenberg
BOBTAIL 99 & UP: Charles & Carol Grimes
COMBO 99 & UP: Vladimir Bilik Jr.
BOBTAIL NEW: Buzz & Carol Sweeden
COMBO NEW: Larry Weaver
BEST OF SHOW BOBTAIL: Charles & Carol Grimes
BEST OF SHOW COMBINATION: Clarence Falk (CBF Trucking)
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