Leading experts in the commercial vehicle industry are set to share their insights at the upcoming Work Truck Week® 2024, hosted by NTEA – The Work Truck Association™. These sessions will cover economic trends and technical aspects. Notable experts include Steve Latin-Kasper, Senior Director of Market Data and Research, and Bob Raybuck, Director of Technical Services, along with Steve Spata, Senior Technical Assistance Director.
What is Work Truck Week 2024?
Work Truck Week is North America’s premier work truck event, taking place from March 5 to 8, 2024, at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.
This event encompasses a wide array of activities, including The Work Truck Show®, Green Truck Summit, NTEA Annual Meeting, Work Truck Week Ride & Drive, educational sessions, and more. The Green Truck Summit is slated for March 5, educational sessions will run from March 5 to 7, and the Work Truck Show exhibits will be open from March 6 to 8. Registration for the event will be available in October via worktruckweek.com. As the leading trade association dedicated to the commercial vehicle industry, NTEA draws upon decades of experience and knowledge to curate Work Truck Week annually.
Pat Godwin Jr., NTEA Education Committee chair and corporate president of The Godwin Group, highlights the importance of NTEA in serving the North American work truck industry. He emphasizes how Work Truck Week’s educational program is instrumental in enhancing knowledge, providing insights, and offering services that assist both members and the industry in making well-informed decisions. NTEA’s dedicated staff, who deal with industry matters daily, are often the most qualified instructors for topics such as market data, industry trends, vehicle engineering, and compliance.
Highlights of the Event
One of the highlights of Work Truck Week is the annual economic overview and market forecast, led by Steve Latin-Kasper and Andrej Divis, Executive Director of Global Heavy Truck Research at S&P Global Mobility. This session is a favorite among attendees, as it offers crucial economic and market insights to optimize business planning processes. It includes a North American chassis sales forecast, which is a critical component of market planning.
Steve Latin-Kasper has been part of NTEA’s staff since 1999, providing valuable research and analysis on work truck industry markets. His reports encompass a wide range of economic indicators, including those relevant to industry application markets and the U.S. economy, as well as OEM shipments and sales data. In addition to his role at NTEA, he teaches economics at Milwaukee Area Technical College, is a member of the National Association for Business Economics (NABE), and serves as a panel member for Bloomberg’s monthly forecast. His expertise has earned him recognition as one of Bloomberg’s top economic forecasters.
In their session, Bob Raybuck and Steve Spata will explore the fundamentals of commercial vehicle certification. Certification goes beyond merely labeling a work truck; it signifies a commitment to following consistent processes to ensure the vehicle’s safety, reliability, and durability. The duo will address ten common misconceptions about certification, explain why proper certification is essential, and discuss potential pitfalls in the certification process.
Bob Raybuck brings over 30 years of engineering experience at NTEA, focusing on commercial vehicles. He is an authority on technical challenges and issues faced by manufacturers and distributors. His role at NTEA involves staying updated on government safety standards and proposed regulations, including Federal Excise Tax. As part of NTEA’s engineering team, he provides daily solutions for body and equipment installation challenges, chassis and equipment compatibility, weight distribution issues, and vehicle certification requirements. He also oversees and serves as a liaison to four NTEA operating divisions and is a member of SAE International.
Steve Spata boasts a career in automotive engineering spanning more than three decades. In addition to fielding member queries regarding various regulations and standards, he keeps a watchful eye on government agency rulemaking activities, reviews proposed legislation, and contributes to the development of educational materials and resources for the industry. He serves as a liaison to four NTEA operating divisions, is a member of SAE International, acts as a liaison to the SAE Truck Crashworthiness Committee, and is a technical committee member of the National Fire Protection Association 1900 Standard for Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Vehicles, Automotive Fire Apparatus, Wildland Fire Apparatus, and Automotive Ambulances.
Attendees who register for the Work Truck Week (WTW) and Green Truck Summit (GTS) Conference Package will gain access to both of these WTW Breakout Sessions, along with dozens of other informative sessions. The full schedule will be available when registration opens later this month.
Sign up to receive email updates about Work Truck Week 2024, including when
registration opens, at worktruckweek.com/wtw24signup or contact NTEA ([email protected]
or 800-441-6832) for more information
