Hi and welcome to the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Kentucky.
This is the largest heavy-duty trucking show in the US.
We're here to find out what's going on in the industry.
The 2012 Mid-America Trucking Show is our 41st annual event.
We're expecting over 75,000 attendees.
We have over 1,000 exhibiting companies.
Over 1 million sq. ft. of exhibit space.
We have 200,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space outdoors...
Just expecting a really great event.
This trade show is really like the benchmark of the industry.
Everybody comes here. From suppliers and vendors to the actual OEMs.
For Volvo, it's a staple in our...
Every year it goes on the calendar at the beginning of the year,
because it's important for us to be here and have our presence here,
for the customers to know that Volvo is here, and here's what we have to offer,
and to speak with them face-to-face and get that engagement.
ARI was founded in January of 2001, with the idea that we could bring
our product to the majority of the owner operators in the country.
The Volvo we have is brand new.
We're displaying it first time at this show this year.
It's getting rave reviews. Our customers are typically a little bit older.
They're paying for convenience, and they want to be comfortable.
We can allow them to stand straight up in the cab.
No more bending over. Now this cab has become part of the sleeper.
They have more room to entertain and to stretch out.
A feeling of being more open.
This is the reason people love ARI. This is the main thing.
This is what makes everybody buy custom sleepers.
It's the shower with the toilet.
This is what will make their life very nice out on the road.
The bed works pretty simple. You just flick the lever,
and it comes out of the wall. Your safety net is on there for safety.
Then they have their bed. It's 48 x 75 inches.
You get up in the morning, ready to have some breakfast, get on the road,
do your job for the day... You just pick the bed, push it back up.
You let it click twice, and now you have your dinette for breakfast.
Most of our customers are husband and wife teams.
So, it's the husband and wife out earning their living in this truck.
That works out very well when they have that kind of lifestyle.
It's no fun to go two days without a shower.
I'm very surprised. I didn't think I was so well known here.
They also understand what the Hybrid is, so I'm very pleased to be here.
It's been very interesting, there have been a lot of people here.
I have signed more than 2,000 posters,
so I'm very pleased and very - what I always say - happy.
They say, "Sir, it's cool, baby! Cool!"
Everything is cool. Also, I'm cool.
They ask me, "How old are you?" "I'm 60 years old," I say.
"And you're still driving so fast!"
Then they say, "Please drive safe."
So I love the American people.
There have been some interesting things here at the Mid-America Trucking Show,
with a lot of new products and cool trucks.
One thing's for sure: In America, trucking really is a way of life.