LOUISVILLE, KY — The public part of the huge Mid America Trucking Show (MATS) is only a few hours old , but industry insiders and members of the press have spent the past two days hearing from truck builders and industry suppliers outline their plans and new products for the coming year.

Todaystucking.com’s small platoon of reporters is covering events with passion and they have unearthed the following gems: words that seem to sum up the industry, as it stands, thus far.

10) “Data is the new oil.”

Joe McAleese, President and CEO of Bendix Commercial Systems LLC, on the importance of information on trucking going to back office.

9) “The cost of a human fatality is now $7 million; it used to be $3 million.”
Ibid., McAleese.

8) “You design a cab around the door.”
Preston Feight, Kenworth Chief Engineer at launch of Kenworth’s new T680, Kenworth’s most aerodynamic truck to date.

7) “Magnesium/calcium chloride and winter road chemicals are a cancer that’s been affecting our products and that is corrosion. “
Adam Hill, Vice President, Product and Sales Engineering, Great Dane at product demonstration.

6) “2012 could be the fourth-best year in North American Class-8 market history.”
Bill Kozek, Peterbilt General Manager and PACCAR Vice President at launch of Peterbilt’s new 579.

5) “This isn’t going to be about barbee-que sauce and mirror brackets, this is going to be real stuff.”
Jim Hebe, Senior Vice President, Northern Sales Operations, Navistar Inc., introducing his company’s expansion into natural gas powered engines.

4) “The move to natural gas is an incredibly important move for us; even more for our customers and for the country; and International’s doing the right thing for this country.”
Ibid, Hebe.

3) “Tracking is because you can’t be everywhere you’d like to be.”
Gayatri Abbott Global Director of SMART products & Telemetics EM, discussing Thermo King’s TracKIng software program.

2) ) “I think 40 percent of the sale in refuse industry will be CNG and I think it’ll go up in the next few years.”
Kevin Flaherty, President Mack Trucks North American Sales & Marketing.

1) “It’s the fuel economy, stupid.”
Dave McKenna, Director, Powertrain Sales, talking about Mack’s Super Econodyne integrated package.