The weekend of August 24th I will be attending my very first Great American Trucking Show as a guest of Tough Tested. The Great American Trucking Show, known as GATS, is the Comicon of trucking! “GATS is where trucking comes together.” GATS describes itself as “an interactive and all-encompassing public convention of trucking professionals. More than 500 exhibitors, meet at GATS, representing truck, trailer, engine, component and parts manufacturers, among many others. GATS exists to create an interactive, energizing environment entirely focused on trucking’s improvement,” It is held in Dallas, TX on August 24-26.” The Great American Trucking Show
This convention of truckers gets attended by more than 50,000 people that are not only truck drivers but those interested in trucking and all it encompasses. The Great American Trucking Show is held at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, Texas. This all encompassing show will have 554 exhibits, including 46 health contributors, 52,000 industry relevant products in 500,000 sq ft of space. More than 150 trucks will be on display with 65 countries being represented.
With over 500 exhibitors I can only just imagine what all will be on hand. I looked over the exhibitor list and there is anything from truck products, insurance, components and part for trucks, chrome parts, cab acessories, brakes & accessories, suspension, steering systems & related components, tires, wheels, rims, fenders, mud flaps, covers, communications, GPS System, audio & electronic equipment, computers, software & internet services, electrical component, lighting, instrumentation, seating, sleeper cab and accessories, financial factoring, tax help, legal advice, leasing & insurance, fuel lubricants, additives, chemicals, sealants & coatings, safety & security equipment, signage, products and driver training, tarps, awnings & cargo control, trucks equipment, sales & parts, polishes & cleaning equipment, tools & maintenance equipment, chrome accessories, fuel Lubricants, additives, chemicals, sealants & coatings, tools & maintenance equipment, health products & services, specialty Items, literature, magazines & radio, research, marketing & advertising services and SO MUCH MORE!!!!! For a list of all the exhibitors go to this link: http://truckshow.caboosecms.com/exhibitor-directory
I will be a guest of ToughTested at the show and will be at Booth 5029. Tough Tested products are built to go to work! Tough Tested is a favorite of truckers because they last for long shifts, noisy trucks, unpaved roads, extreme conditions, and continuous use. Their products are made to resist the rough and rugged. Tough Tested products provide longer and heavier cords, high amperage, longer battery life, durable materials, extreme temperature tolerate components, higher-grade plastics and hardware. The thing about Tough Tested is weather your on or off the road, on the job, hiking, their gear if for you!!! This is why Tough Tested is all my race team uses.
Along with myself, Tough Tested will be hosting some other wonderful people. I have included a little bio of each person who will be joining me at this fun event.
Meet:
George Nelson Parker III and Wendy Benton Parker
George is a long haul owner/operator who has hauled everything from baby diapers to Army Tanks. Up until a few years ago, Wendy was a Licensed Practical Nurse, but an injury to her hand and a long recuperation time led her to go out on a cross country trip with George, and the trip morphed into a writing career for Overdrive Magazine. The George and Wendy Show runs three times a week on the Overdriveonline.com website and covers industry news, politics, lifestyle and just plain ol’ craziness on the road.
The George and Wendy Show
overdriveonline.com/wendy
Tom Kyrk
Tom has been a truck driver for close to 12 years. He entered the industry after working in retail for over 10 years. He needed a change of both scenery and lifestyle and trucking has provided it. Like many drivers weight and other health issues has become a battle. Long hours, a sedentary lifestyle, lack of access to health facilities, and better food choices contributed to gaining weight and the slow creeping up of his blood pressure. About 4-5 years ago he began becoming far more proactive about his health and making changes. He was encouraged to chronicle his journey through raodtestedliving.com In that process he became involved in advocating driver health, as well as reviewing and consulting on the personal technology that drivers use. “This year at GATS will be my 3rd year showing how drivers can make simple meals on their trucks on the health stage at the Landstar Health Pavillion. I will also be doing talks on technology and health at the Tough Tested Booth stop by for a free cookbook. As well as sharing the story of the MATS2GATS Fitness Challenge and reveal if a group of drivers met our goal of losing a ton or more of weight between the MATS and GATS Truck Shows.”
Tom Kyrk
Founder and Chief Blogger
Road Tested Living
www.roadtestedliving.com
Facebook: roadtestedlivin
Twitter: roadtestedlivin
Bill Weaver
Bill Weaver was born into a military family and was influenced by a variety of music. As a very small child he began writing poems, songs and words and has always had a passion for singing and writing. As a 5 year old his Dad and Grandpa bought him a second hand guitar at a yard sale and from that moment on he was hooked on learning to play the guitar and keep time while singing. His music influences were Buck Owens, Roy Clark and all the Hee Haw musicians, as well as the Johnny Cash show, the Glen Campbell show and all of the popular music shows of the 1970s and 1980s. Bill also liked the sounds of the Eagles, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Marshall Tucker Band, the Allman Brothers, and many other southern rock and alternative rock and country groups. He learned to “frame words and put them to my own style of music, which is a mix of every sound that is pleasing to me.”
In Bill’s words, “my experiences on stage and driving a truck giving me long periods away from home, paired with loneliness and emptiness, give me a perfect canvas on which to paint a picture that all of us can relate to and derive a sense of pride in what we do and where we are going in life.
I write all kinds of songs, including love songs, and most are primarily trucking songs, which is what the “Every Mile I Drive” album consists of.”
His songs are basically true to life
“My goal is to bring some pride back to the working man and woman, because we are what keeps the world turning, and great music makes it better.
I pray my songs touch your heart because they were written from mine, God Bless!”
Bill Weaver
http://WWW.BILLWEAVERMUSIC.COM
twitter: @Billweavermusic
Instagram: billweavermusic
So please join me along with my ToughTested family at booth 5029 at the GATS show. I will be passing out hero cards and don’t be shy about asking for an autograph. I will be sure to post lots of fun photos during and after the event. Look for some live Facebook feeds. Tough Tested will be giving away limited edition GATS hats!!!! See you there!!!!!
