I had the pleasure of spending the day in Chicago yesterday helping to plan out the educational program for the 2010 Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week, to be held next January in Las Vegas. I have to say, it was great spending the day with 30 or so heavy duty trucking professionals--independent service providers, parts suppliers and parts distributors--who actually feel optimistic about the future. These guys are very much focused on meeting their customers' needs as the economy starts to turn around, offering the best service and value they can, and doing whatever thay can to make sure the heavy truck industry gets back up on its feet as quickly as possible. One of the issues that kept coming up during the day was somewhat ominous, however: the looming shortage of parts in 2010-2012 brought on by the downturn in manufacturing over the past few years. This is an issue you can be sure we'll be keeping our eyes on here at Fleet Maintenance.
