Industry events are always great places to share best practices with industry counterparts and to meet with suppliers and learn about new technologies. This March, three events being held at the same time will provide an unparalleled opportunity to do just that. Scheduled from March 8-11 in Indianapolis in conjunction with the 47th Annual National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA) Convention is The Work Truck Show 2011, while starting March 7 at the same venue is the Green Truck Summit.

In addition to more than 40 educational and technical training programs, The Work Truck Show showcases trucks and equipment from more than 500 exhibitors. It also brings together thousands of fleet managers and maintenance personnel, manufacturers and dealers, distributors and equipment buyers.

This year, over 60 companies have announced they will introduce new products at The Work Truck Show. Some of the manufacturers planning launches at the event include Ford, Hino Trucks, Isuzu Commercial Truck of America, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America, Ram Trucks, Supreme, Utilimaster and Western Star.

Now in its fifth year, the Green Truck Summit—jointly produced by NTEA and CALSTART—is an educational conference on green technology for vocational trucks. Its aim is to provide information on green vehicle funding and partnership opportunities, implementation of green fleet programs, carbon footprint and idle reduction techniques, hybrid chassis integration, fuel economy improvements and more.

The Green Truck Summit also brings together industry leaders to provide a look into the future of commercial trucks. During one session called “Moving Forward: Truck Technologies Leading Us to the Future,” John Boesel, president and CEO of CALSTART, and Jim Carney, NTEA executive director, will discuss current and upcoming trends in clean technologies.

Also on the agenda is “Planning for 2016 Fuel Efficiency Regulations: An OEM and Supplier Discussion.” Representatives of Freightliner, Navistar and Eaton will address regulations being developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requiring medium- and heavy-duty vehicles to meet specific fuel efficiency requirements starting in 2016.

The Green Truck Summit will also feature an address by Connie Burek, solutions specialist, heavy equipment & truck, International Business Machine, and Rob Stevens, chief engineer, Ford Commercial Truck. Their “A Sneak Peek at the Trucks of the Future” session will cover the work truck of the future, including technologies that will lead to reductions in fuel use and emissions.

Another session planned for the Green Truck Summit is “Gaseous Fuels: What’s Working Now; What’s Coming Next,” in which Bill Burns, fleet operations manager, City of Columbus, Ohio, and Steve McConnell, lead fuels engineer, and Marianne Mintz, transportation systems planner at the Center for Transportation Research, Argonne National Laboratory, will examine issues involved in transitioning a fleet to a gaseous fuel.

Green work truck technology will also be on display at The Work Truck Show in the CALSTART Clean Technology and Fuel Pavilion. Dozens of exhibitors plan to feature green products and technologies. Also planned is a Green Truck Ride-and-Drive where attendees will have an opportunity to try out commercial vehicles that incorporate advances in hybrid and alternative fuel technologies.

“The Work Truck Show continues to be the best place to find the latest work trucks and equipment for your business,” says Steve Sill, NTEA Convention chairman and president of Aspen Equipment Co. in Bloomington, Minn. “As North America’s largest work truck event, it’s the perfect venue to check out what’s new and to compare products from a wide range of suppliers.”

Add to that the 2011 NTEA Convention and the Green Truck Summit and a trip to the three events this year may be a very worthwhile investment.