NTEA Preview

Jan. 1, 2000
A beefed-up educational program will highlight the 36th annual National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA) convention and T3 2000 to be held February

A beefed-up educational program will highlight the 36th annual National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA) convention and T3 2000 to be held February 23-25, 2000, in St Louis, Missouri.

"This year, we're offering educational opportunities that directly address the concerns of people in the industry," says John Puckett Jr, NTEA convention chairman and president of Fontaine Truck Equipment Company, Birmingham, Alabama. "These courses cover topics industry professionals have asked for and need in order to be as successful as possible. All our presenters are experts in their fields."

Participants can choose from more than 40 educational sessions - double the number of courses offered at the 1999 NTEA convention - and nearly 400 percent more than in previous years, the NTEA notes. In addition, three preconvention workshops, including one open only to NTEA Young Executives Network (YEN) members, will be conducted.

The preconvention workshops include a technical session on truck equipment installation, a sales presentation on how fleet managers make purchasing decisions, and the YEN workshop on developing effective leadership.

Red Carver, a familiar figure to many in the industry, will present a workshop entitled "Truck Mounting and Modification" from 10 am to 5 pm Tuesday, February 22. Carver is an engineering consultant and specialist in frame structure and materials.

The workshop will be geared to a mixed audience of shop managers, engineers, and sales personnel, Carver says.

At another preconvention workshop entitled "Truck Equipment Quotation and Bid," scheduled from 10 am to 5 pm Tuesday, truck equipment sales and sales management personnel will have the opportunity to "crawl inside the fleet manager's head and see his goals, including expectations for chassis, body, and mounted equipment," says John Dolce, the workshop presenter. Dolce is a New York City-based fleet manager and consultant.

The third preconvention workshop from 10 am to 5 pm Tuesday will focus on effective leadership. The workshop aim is to help upper managers of truck equipment firms who are under age 35 build focus, discipline, and accountability into their leadership styles. The presenter will be Beau Hamilton, president of Hamilton Consulting Inc, a management training and consulting firm in Kirkland, Washington.

Besides conducting preconvention workshops, Hamilton, Carver, and Dolce will present sessions during the convention. Hamilton will talk on "Creating Superior Customer Satisfaction" from 1 to 2:15 pm Wednesday, February 23, and will present another session entitled "Building a Productive Shop Team" from 2:30 to 3:45 pm on Wednesday.

Carver will present an overview of truck body mounting from 2:30 to 3:45 pm Wednesday. It will be geared to shop personnel who do hands-on work with truck equipment, Carver says.

Dolce will present two NTEA sessions, "Evaluating Truck Equipment Quotes and Bids" from 1 to 2:15 pm Wednesday and "Understanding Vehicle Life-Cycle Costing" from 2:30 pm to 3:45 pm Wednesday.

Keynote and General Sessions In addition to industry-specific sessions presented by specialists in their fields, the convention will feature three motivational speakers who will present strategies for success in business and life.

ESPN sportscaster and former Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann will present the keynote address at the NTEA President's Breakfast and Annual Meeting, to be held from 7:45 to 9:45 am Wednesday. His address is entitled "A Game Plan for the 21st Century." Theismann, the winning quarterback in Super Bowl XVII, will outline the game plan that brought him success on and off the football field. He will share his ideas on how to succeed and excel under pressure.

At the general session to be held from 8 to 9:45 am Thursday, February 24, Mark Sanborn, president of Sanborn & Associates in Denver, will speak on "Mastering Change: How to Thrive in an Ever-Changing World." >From a business standpoint, companies must change or they will disappear, Sanborn says. Thus, the question no longer is can companies change, but how fast can they change.

Sanborn also will present an educational session on "Reinventing Your Business and Life through Personal Leadership" from 10:30 to 11:45 am. He will cover the "three hours of leadership" - rethink, reinvent, and renew.

The third general session, scheduled from 8 to 9:45 am Friday, February 25, on market strategies will be presented by Thomas Winninger, chief executive officer of the Winninger Institute, Minneapolis, Minnesota. The session is entitled "Price Wars: How to Win the Battle for Your Customer."

Winninger also will conduct an educational session entitled "Sell Easy: What to Do and Say to Get More 'Yes'" from 10:30 to 11:45 am Friday. Besides selling equipment, companies must demonstrate, define, and sell value, he says.

NTEA Staff and Member Sessions The NTEA will present other sessions led by association staff and members. Staff-led sessions will be presented by specialists in federal excise tax, government relations, and information technology.

Mark Sidman, the NTEA's legal counsel, will present a session entitled "Keeping Current on Federal Excise Tax Issues" from 1 to 2:15 pm Wednesday. He will present an overview of troublesome tax issues for NTEA companies, including problems with the "suitable for use" and "further manufacturing" rules. In addition, Sidman will discuss imported vehicles and the tire tax credit deduction.

Another session on "Government Issues Impacting Your Business" will be presented by Michael Kastner, government relations director for the NTEA. The session will be held from 2:30 to 3:45 pm Wednesday.

The Internet will be the focus of a presentation from 1 to 2:15 pm Wednesday, presented by David Lee, the NTEA's information technology director. The talk is entitled "The Web Revolution: How It Affects Your Business."

NTEA members will provide practical information on various topics in panel and solo presentations. Session topics range from electronic commerce to driveline service and installation to the role of the distributor in adding value to the sales process.

For example, "Building a Three-Way Alliance Between Manufacturer, Distributor, and Customer" is the title of a panel session to be presented from 2:30 to 3:45 pm Thursday. Panelists are Ray Kohler, administrator, GPU Energy, Reading, Pennsylvania; Jack O'Donnell, executive vice-president, sales, Reading Body Works Inc, Shillington, Pennsylvania; and Norm Ziegler, president, Crest Truck Equipment Company, Bowmansville, Pennsylvania. The panel will discuss the advantages of strategic alliance from the viewpoints of a manufacturer, distributor, and customer.

And Tom Koedam, brand development manager for Dana Corporation-Spicer, Toledo, Ohio, will discuss "Driveline Installation and Service Guidelines" from 2:30 to 3:45 pm Thursday. Koedam will review proper driveline installation, including balancing u-joint angles, and critical speed. He will discuss techniques for eliminating driveline vibration and avoiding costly installation mistakes.

Two New Pavilions In addition to attending sessions, convention attendees will want to see the many products displayed on the floor. T3 2000 will feature two new pavilions and will bring back the popular Shop Productivity Center. The new pavilions will draw more international representation at the show, the NTEA says.

For the first time at an NTEA event, a government trade office will have a designated display space on the show floor. The Quebec Pavilion at T3 2000, hosted by the Government of Quebec, Canada, will display commercial truck equipment produced by manufacturers from the Canadian province.

The new Technology Pavilion will feature companies producing leading-edge technological products, such as diagnostics systems, load-sensing devices, and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) routing systems.

The Shop Productivity Center will be the largest group of efficiency-boosting shop tools and equipment ever assembled by the NTEA, the association says. On display will be air compressors, frame saws and drills, ironworkers, material handling equipment, paint application equipment, paint spray booths, paint products, plasma cutters, shop safety products, and welding equipment.

NTEA Keynote Address...ESPN sportscaster and former Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann will present the keynote address at the 36th annual National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA) convention and T3 2000 (The Commercial Truck, Trailer & Technology Expo) in St Louis, Missouri.

Theismann, the winning quarterback in Super Bowl XVII, will speak at the NTEA President's Breakfast and Annual Meeting, to be held from 7:45 to 9:45 am Wednesday, February 23. His address is entitled "A Game Plan for the 21st Century."

A two-time Pro Bowl player and the most productive quarterback in the history of the Washington Redskins, Theismann will outline the game plan that brought him success on and off the football field. He will share his ideas on how to succeed and excel under pressure and adapt quickly and effectively to unexpected situations.

Theismann developed his game plan through a 12-year career in the National Football League (NFL), highlighted by many outstanding performances. Perhaps his crowning achievement was leading the Redskins to a 27-17 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XVII. In 1982, he was honored as the NFL's Man of the Year for his work in community service. In 1983, he was voted Most Valuable Player of the Pro Bowl.

Since his retirement as a player, Theismann has built a national reputation as an analyst of the game for ESPN. He joined ESPN in 1998 as a color analyst of all Sunday night nationally televised NFL games. He is cohost of ESPN's "NFL Countdown" and "Primetime."

Theismann has become one of the nation's foremost motivational speakers by communicating a deep understanding of stress management, teamwork, and dedication to the job.