It’s that time already, so listen up. Do your team research, plan your strong points, get ready to move out, pick your team and place your bets. It’s time for March Madness! No, I’m not going to write about basketball or sports, but I would like to use this opportunity to poke some fun and introduce you to a few of my favorite “teams” as we get ready for the “big game” in the world of trucking, held every year in Louisville, Kentucky, for over five decades.
First on the list of the teams in truckin’ are the Texas Peterbilts (out of Denton, Texas), the Ohio Kenworths (of Chillicothe, Ohio), and our own North Carolina Freightliners (out of Cleveland, North Carolina). I would be remiss not to mention the ever popular cross-border teams from Escobedo, Mexico (Navistar of North America), and the titans of the north, previously from Kelowna, British Columbia (now from Portland, Oregon), the Western Stars. The final team to the party is one of the late bloomers from across the pond – they may be late to the American scene, but they have taken the industry by storm, so please welcome the Volvos from Dublin, Virginia.
These teams are all going to go head-to-head in Louisville, Kentucky again this year at the Mid-America Trucking Show on March 26-28, 2026, competing for the “Most Favored Brand” title. There should be plenty of the newest members to their squads on the floor for inspection and review, along with the coaching staff, to answer your questions. In the past few years there have been a few of the older generations of trucks in the mix there, too. They have been displayed with the American Truck Historical Society (ATHS) and parked throughout the convention center in various booths, as well.
I’m sure I disappointed a few of you hardcore sports enthusiasts out there by mentioning truck brands instead of college b-ball teams. Sorry, I’m just not into all that. If I could have my wish for a sporting contest (trucker style) it would look more like a technology and design competition, pitted between some of the brightest stars in transportation today. I will refrain from naming a few of them since there are many, and I wouldn’t want to miss someone. However, the opportunity still exists, as many of them will be on hand and available to answer questions from the public, all weekend during the show hours.
Bring yourself and a load of friends or associates to the largest show of its kind right here in the center of everything. Don’t be afraid to bring the younger set, as well. I’ve written in years past, if you cannot find what you are looking for at MATS, held at the Kentucky Expo Center, it most likely isn’t that important. The event will have everything from show trucks (inside and outside) to work boots, from sleeper essentials (mattresses) to hand cleaners. Not only do they have the products there and available for purchase, but if you are an informed operator, there are some great savings to be found, too, when purchasing factory direct. Don’t worry if you are pressed for space on the return trip home, because there are plenty of opportunities to get it shipped from the manufacturer. Who knows, if you make the right friends while you’re attending this convention, they might even offer to deliver it for you.
I don’t think I have missed more than a few MATS shows since I bought my first truck in 1989. Over that time, I have watched the transformation of our industry from freight hauling into transportation logistics (a reference to last month’s column). If you go back to the late 1970s or early 1980s, freight was handled much differently than what we see today. For one, there were no load boards on the internet, as there was no internet. Contacts were handled person to person. We had a face to go with the name on a trip lease contract. Many of us introduced our children to them at the office when they rode on the truck during summer breaks and vacations. If the shipper said you are to be their primary carrier, you were the guy.
That doesn’t mean there weren’t dishonest people out there constantly trying to horn in on a good deal, and rate cutting has existed as long as there have been contracts. However, as a general rule, people were more honest than what we are experiencing these days (freight brokers weren’t hiding behind keyboards and shadowy innuendos). Today, anyone can open a freight board app on the internet and represent themselves as a legit carrier. They can even invent a fictitious safety score and fill in bogus numbers for units available and driver scores. Does that make them a trucking company? Not in my world, but to the shipper out there looking for a deal, if it fits it ships, right?
Back in the day, if you wanted to move freight, you were required to sign a trip lease. In general, it was much the same as a broker/load confirmation, and it explained the terms of the contract (the who, what, and where regarding the deal). Most of the time a driver needed to be recommended by someone familiar to the leasing organization. We all carried a little black book of numbers. Those numbers were our livelihoods, and the longer you were driving, the more you accumulated. Most of us ran the same region every trip, whether it was weekly, daily, or in some cases, seasonal. No one gave out their broker’s name or number without good reason. If the person you recommended was a poor choice for the broker, then the next time you called them for a load they wouldn’t load you, either (guilty by association)!
The second part of the process was you needed to physically sign a contract. They got to meet the driver when you came to collect the trip lease signs (door placards) and place them on your truck. You didn’t just carry them – you were temporarily leased to the company who tendered the freight. More than once I even had to go through an equipment inspection before they would give me all the load information.
Back then, I was driving an older truck that looked a bit worse for wear. The company I drove for didn’t believe in truck washes or maintenance. I don’t know if the broker felt sorry for me or if they had confidence I could deliver their load, since I was holding that old truck together with duct tape and bailing wire. All the same, I gained experience and learned the value of good maintenance. Your performance will always depend on the level of preparation you plan for and execute, which is where I want this article to go this month (finally).
In addition to the big MATS event every year, March is also the month I start my maintenance countdown. That time when ambition meets opportunity. It is when the last days of winter come and the rock salt, sand, and urea-based deicer start to shake down and melt off. This is also about the time that the ugly sight of corrosion peeks its head out from under the blistered paint. I know that’s a subject no one wants to talk about because it’s unsightly and expensive, but costly or not, it is a fact of reality. And, if you don’t tackle it early, the problem will only get worse.
I haven’t done much truckin’ this winter due to health concerns, so my old truck has been sitting in the shop since around Thanksgiving. The last trip out I ran in a few miles of deicer on the way back to the shop. I was in a hurry and didn’t stop to get a good truck wash since the truck looked clean. However, looks can be deceiving, and because I didn’t follow through with it then, I have some problems now. A few days ago, I went out to move the truck so I could get some things from behind it, and this is where this month’s story began.
The outside temperature had been hovering around 0 degrees Fahrenheit for a couple weeks, so no part of that truck wanted to start. Normally, I would plug in the engine block heater and boost the batteries for a short time and, just like that, it would turn over and start making smoke. Well, not this week.
After robbing a couple of batteries from another truck, I plugged in the block heater, but I failed to notice it tripped the breaker on my power supply. I came back later, expecting success, and that’s when I noticed the power supply had been tripped. I haven’t had this issue before, so I decided to split the cords and run the heater from a different power bank. When I plugged it in, all hell broke loose – I had fire, sparks, and smoke! It was kind of like the 4th of July minus the warm sunny weather. Good thing I was standing right next to it, or I might have torched the truck and burned down my entire shop.
As it turned out, corrosion had eaten away at the plug, and that shorted out the connection. Now I’m gonna have to pull that heater element and check it for possible damage and, at the very least, replace the plug end of the cord. That’s how my annual list starts – usually with something small, and then it continues to grow, as I do additional preventive maintenance and inspections. Normally, I find a few questionable or repairable issues, along with some other items I want to update. Maintenance never ends with roadable equipment.
Many drivers only think about the shiny parts of their truck, making sure the paint is clean, but there are thousands of individual components that can fail or malfunction and burn your operation to the ground. I call it a maintenance “countdown” because most years I take my list to Louisville and search out new or better options available. They may not all get changed out right away, but as the harsh winter gives way to April showers and then May flowers, I will be better prepared to make improvements. Not to mention, while in Louisville, there are great opportunities to chat with like-minded folks while perusing the packed isles of vendors and attendees.
There’s a lot happening this month. March is when we set our clocks ahead (March 8th) and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day (March 17th). And who doesn’t like leprechauns, four leaf clovers, and shamrock shakes? The first day of spring is March 20th, and I am so ready for it. Let us pray for warm and sunny skies this year with no snow for MATS (March 26-28) and then close out the busy month with Palm Sunday (March 29th). Start making your plans now or you may get lost in the shuffle, blocked by lost opportunity, or overlooked by the fire and smoke of bad choices.
Now would be a great time to stock up on your favorite swag. Get ready to gear up and shift into “Truck Show Season 2026” by supporting your favorite team. And don’t forget to stop by the 10-4 Magazine booth at their new location in the same building, still along the back wall, but now in booth 14269. While you’re there, pick up a shirt or hat (or both), some posters and centerfolds (the trucking type), and a free copy of the magazine. But don’t be late, because they typically run out of everything. Say hello to “Dan the Man” and Shannon, too, along with the crew that make it possible to produce our fine publication every month. You might even spot one of your favorite content contributors while they are out and about snapping pictures and “yucking it up” with friends. Don’t be shy – they are all very approachable and would love to hear your comments.
Let’s go, drivers. Buckle up for the season and march into the madness it brings. It will be fun, and everyone is doing it. Remember, “Preparation speaks louder than poor performance,” so expect the best, but prepare for the worst. That is sage advice for both life and trucking, 10-4!