All trucking roads lead to Dallas this week as the Great Amerian Trucking Show takes over the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center starting Thursday. The show runs until Saturday afternoon and delivers a mix of music, trucking business information, health screenings, custom show trucks, new products for professional drivers and no small amount of fun.
There’s still time to register online for free admission to the show, which features 500 exhibitors on 5000,000 square feet of space.
Highlights of this, the 20th anniversary show, include:
- The New Truck Pavilion with the latest models of major manufacturers on display
- Overdrive’s Pride & Polish show truck competition
- Numerous musical performances at the Red Eye Radio booth, including appearances by American Idol winner Taylor Hicks, country/gospel star Leone Everett and Australian country/rocker Jayne Denham
- Opportunities to meet with recruiters from numerous carriers at the Recruiting Pavilion
- Screenings and informational programming at the Landstar Health and Wellness Pavilion
- Women truckers will be honored at a program Saturday afternoon by Real Women In Trucking and sponsored by the RoadPro Family of Brands
- Overdrive’s Partners In Business programs will deliver business tips for owner-operators
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Administrator Ray Martinez will be on hand for a listening session about proposed hours of service changes, and the agency holds programs on other regulatory topics
- The final sing-off in the Overdrive and Red Eye Radio Trucker Talent Search
- Announcement of the winner of the 2019 Mike O’Connell Trucking’s Top Rookie Award presented by Truckers News
You can see the entire show schedule here.
Show hours are:
- Thursday, noon to 5 p.m.
- Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
To make the most of your time at GATS, be sure to get the app, which lets you customize your show visits.
And, if you’re driving your truck to GATS, free parking — and so much more — is available at the TA Petro Truck Parking Community. Located at 3013 S Haskell Ave, Dallas, TX 75223, free shuttles are provided to and from the show. The community includes:
- Shower trailers sponsored by TA|Petro
- Truck service and repairs by TA Truck Service
- Free truck wash provided Friday & Saturday 8 a.m.-Noon, 2-6 p.m. sponsored by Riteload
- Truck Parking Community Tent
- Sponsored by RoadPro, Southern Recipe and Progressive
- Cooling fans provided by Cajun Kooling
- Auctions benefiting St. Christopher’s Fund
- Silent auction will be from 5-8 p.m. on Thursday, August 22
- Live auction will be from 4:30 -7 p.m. on Saturday, August 24
- Nightly celebrity dunking booth opportunities
- American Pride Truck Charity Event
- Food Truck, Flaming Grill BBQ
- Ice Cream Truck On Friday & Saturday sponsored by Riteload (coupons can be picked up at the Riteload tent in truck parking)
- Pet grooming
- Nightly entertainment
- Entertainment sponsored by Heniff Transportation
- Special appearance by Leon Everette at the Riteload tent Wednesday, 7 p.m.
- On-site security
- Portable restrooms
- Worship Service at 10 a.m. on Sunday morning with Bill Blackman from Truckstop Ministries
