By Tod Trousdell, Fleet Marketing Consultant and Owner, RobertsTrousdell Communications
March 4, 2026
How are fleet managers holding up after a year of uncertainty wrought by tariffs, the economy, and global conflict?
What are OEMs doing to recover – and reposition – after massive bets on EVs failed to pan out?
And where will the trucking industry find a new influx of drivers as the federal government continues a massive crackdown on unqualified driving schools?
Indianapolis
Perhaps as much as any year since Covid first made an appearance, as attendees filed out of the 2020 Work Truck Week conference, there are a mountain of questions swirling around fleet and trucking. And with the 2026 version of the industry’s premiere event – Work Truck Week – set to take place March 10-13 in Indianapolis, there’s no shortage of folks looking for clarity on these and other looming questions.
One of those, Bill Bishop, SVP of Sales and Marketing, at work fleet remarketer FLD believes the industry has – at least when it comes to his expertise, wholesale vehicle remarketing – finally found predictable patterns after several years of turmoil. Predictability he expects to continue into 2026 – and hopefully beyond.
“Our team was encouraged by the fact the used wholesale work vehicle market settled down – and settled in – throughout 2025 and that it appears set for more of the same in 2026,” said Bishop, who’s been publishing a quarterly White Metal Market Report for nearly a decade. “In our opinion, that bodes well for other areas of the work truck world, so our team will be anxious to immerse itself in this year’s conference and to gauge whether or not other corners of the industry are experiencing the same thing.”
As with most work industry service providers, remarketers will be well represented at this year’s conference. That includes long time industry veterans like Debbie Struna of Fleet Street Remarketing who will be attending this year with a new colleague, National Accounts Director Kara Stuart.
Without a doubt, one of the biggest questions swirling around this year’s show is how industry OEMs – there will be 12 in attendance – will pivot and reposition after seemingly going all in on EVs. This was a massive, multi-billion-dollar gamble that most have backed away from over the last year – especially among the Big 3 automakers, with Ford essentially scrapping much of its EV program.
One big question looming around this year’s conference is how big truck manufacturers – class 7 and 8 providers – are faring after what was one of the most volatile years in memory. Most, including traditional players, like Peterbilt and Freightliner, have spent the last year laboring under the specter of tariffs and sky-high interest rates that scared buyers away from new units. This forced them to adapt to a “see-saw” effect which has never been experienced before.
Another phenomenon that bears watching is how nearly a decade of consolidation and disruption across fleet management companies is panning out. This was a messy period that saw hundreds of layoffs, retirements, and wonky integration. Today, most agree the FMC space has finally settled on its final “Big Four” – Wheels, Holman, Element and Merchants. Each will be exhibiting at the show or sending a significant contingent to this year’s conference. It will be interesting to observe whether the fallout has been a good thing and what challenges remain.
“Work Truck Week is an important moment for our industry to align on where truck fleets are headed next. As our clients’ needs evolve, we evolve with them — expanding our network of partners and broadening our truck and upfit solutions to help them scale with confidence. We see ourselves as a mission-critical partner in their success, and collaboration at events like this ensures we continue delivering the adaptability and service today’s fleets demand,” said Jeff Nieman, Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer at Merchants Fleet.
A healthy batch of Tier 2 providers like Union Leasing and Mike Albert are expected, as well. This is a group that has grown in stature and seemingly benefited from FMC turmoil and now seemed positioned to thrive.
Of course, traditional work truck industry entities like truck body providers, upfitters and widget makers are usually front and center and this year will be no different, with upfitting behemoths Adrian, Clarience (who acquired Ranger Design and Prime Van just after last year’s WTW) and Knapheide all staffing significant booths.
Brian Barber, a longtime industry exec and SVP of Sales at global upfitting manufacturer Sortimo, said the company is especially excited for this year’s conference and will focus on showing fleets “how they can do more with less” at a time when stretching dollars is paramount. The manufacturer plans to highlight the flexibility and cost savings that come with attaching and swapping out its systems at its formal press conference on Wednesday at 3:15 PM at booth #1501.
“Work Truck Week is a singular opportunity, there’s nothing like it,” said Barber, a former President of the Automotive Fleet Leasing Association (AFLA).
Exhibitors at Work Truck Week – which is billed as “more than just a tradeshow” – do not fall into neatly defined categories. Last year more than 500 exhibiting companies joined a record breaking 18,000-plus attendees to explore the latest truck trends, discover new ideas and connect with people and partners they need to thrive.
According to Work Truck Week organizers, this year’s show will be even bigger and better, evidence by the fact that space on the show floor is at a premium – even long time exhibitors can’t move into a bigger space. This is obviously a sign of the show’s popularity.
In addition to the traditional Work Truck Show exhibit hall – which is open March 11-13 – the work fleet world’s biggest week also features the following:
- Green Truck Summit on March 10
- Ride & Drive, March 11-12
- Educational Program, March 10-12
- New Exhibitor Pavillion, March 11-12, which is a chance for new vendors to potentially score a big breakthrough by introducing their products and services to the work truck world’s biggest buyers and influencers.
First-time exhibitor Lithium Power Inc. (LPI) plans to make its entry into the fleet space with a new auxiliary battery starter – the StartAux – and aims to learn more about how the industry works and where its best opportunities lie. This kind of introductory exposure is a core feature of Work Truck Week and continues to attract new vendors each year. A lucky few are propelled into the Work Truck Week stratosphere, something that seems to happen often.
The Week also features 12 commercial vehicle OEMs sharing info on vehicle changes and upfitting solutions as well as key notes by political strategists Karl Rove and Jim Messina as part of NTEA’s annual meeting on March 12.
Exavious Farley
In addition to being all about work fleets, Work Truck Week offers the perfect opportunity for industry professionals to gather, exchange ideas and catch up with colleagues. Several – including the Black Fleet Network (BFN) – work as supporting organizations to Work Truck Week. The conference offers, according to Exavious Farley, Founder and Executive Chief of BFN, a “superior opportunity for our leadership and members to connect fleets and fleet professionals with our organization.”
While more recent post-Covid Work Truck Week conferences have shined a light on emerging technologies – a focus that is expected to intensify at this year’s conference – there’s certainly no shortage of practical, day-to-day products, services and solutions on hand. One of those providers – Vanair – will be highlighting “what battery powered compressed air can do for crews in the field.”
“Work Truck Week is the biggest stage in the industry, and there’s no better place to show the world how our solutions provide clean, quiet, portable air power with zero emissions, no engine idling and no fuel costs. Solutions that contractors can drop into a pickup truck in the morning and start working the moment they arrive on site,” said Rick Ashley, A Vanair spokesman.
Of course, the focus of Work Truck Week is not just on work trucks but on the fleets and people who make them run. The week provides a unique opportunity that can’t be found at other conferences, according to Joe Lukacs, Global Director of Fleet Management for the Sherwin Williams Company, and AFLA’s reigning Fleet Manager of the Year, who will be there with Ryan Rampton, Assistant Director of Fleet for the Sherwin Williams Company.
“I think we have forty plus meetings set up over three days,” said Lukacs, who’s also been a member of both the Ford and GM customer advisory boards. “There’s really no other event like it that delivers such a condensed opportunity to see and experience so much.”
For more information on Work Truck Week 2026 visit the show’s official website at https://www.worktruckweek.com.
Tod Trousdell is a 35-year marketing veteran and has been helping fleet entities move their marketing needle for over 16 years. His firm, RobertsTrousdell, also works with a host of global firms like Wyndham Worldwide, Coca Cola and Time Warner, specializing in project work from research to content development to brand strategy. He can be reached at [email protected].
