Let’s be honest. Trade shows are where trucking goes to shake hands, talk shop, and see who brought the biggest booth with the best stickers and tallest pile of swag. But if you walked ATA MCE, TCA, or even MATS this year and thought, “Huh… feels thinner,” you’re not alone.

 

The Headcount Reality Check

 

Some organizers still tout big totals. 

 

  • MATS (Mid-American Trucking Show) continues to market itself at 50,000–55,000 attendees and 850+ exhibitors, which is massive by any standard.
  • TCA (Truckload Carriers Association) reported 1,300+ leaders and suppliers in Phoenix for 2025, in line with an intentional executive-focused format.
  • ATA MCE (American Trucking Associations Management Conference & Exhibition) boasts attendance would be in the thousands for San Diego 2025.

 

So, if the numbers look fine on paper, why did the foot traffic feel down?

 

Freight Market Correction = Tighter Travel Budgets: Even with recovery underway from the 2023 trucking market contraction, freight and profit pressures remain. Many fleets are still in a cautious “correction cycle,” meaning travel and trade show ROI are under the microscope. Every trip must justify itself.

 

Economic and Policy Uncertainty Freeze Budgets: Tariff whiplash is real, manufacturing softness, and stock volatility, even hostility have kept C-suites cautious when approaching non-essential spending. When orders start to look uncertain, discretionary budget set aside for trade show travel is quickly reprioritized. 

 

Equipment Demand Slowdown = “Wait and See”: With major OEMs reporting cooling orders and profit pressure, many buyers have stepped back from “shopping trips.” They may attend to stay visible, but they’re less likely to purchase until equipment and pricing trends stabilize.

 

Attendance ≠ Aisle Density: San Diego isn’t cheap, not for attendees or for exhibitors like us. Neither is Louisville during show week. Airfare, rooms, drayage, and labor climb, which nudges teams toward learner delegations and day-trip strategies.

 

Digital Channels Are Siphoning the “Curious”: Product videos, live demos, and webinars capture enable fleets to research online. The folks who do fly in are ready to buy, not browse.

 

What This Means for Fleets and Exhibitors

 

If attendance feels uneven, it’s not the end of trade shows…it’s the end of lazy trade show math with a focus on the effective time-away instead of shows acting as a getaway. Fleets want certainty. Clear ROI. Fewer “maybes,” more “let’s go.” And THAT is what exhibitors are looking for as well. 

 

Why EpicVue Cares

 

At EpicVue, our goal is simple: if your drivers aren’t happier or your ops team isn’t running smoother after talking with us, we didn’t do our job.

 

That’s why our show strategy stays focused on what fleets value most:

 

  • EpicWiFi for reliable in-cab connectivity

  • EpicVue+ for DIRECTV-powered driver engagement and morale boosts without operational headaches

 

We help fleets stay connected, entertained, and efficient. That’s our elevator pitch…simple.

 

Quick Reality Bites…Because Sometimes Reality BITES

 

  • MATS: Still the largest U.S. trucking show with 55,000+ attendees and 850+ exhibitors. If your aisle felt empty at 2:30 PM, the crowd was just somewhere else.

  • TCA 2025: A quality-over-quantity event by design, offering deeper conversations instead of carnival-level foot traffic with 1,300+ leaders and suppliers.

 

And remember: big totals don’t always mean packed aisles. Sessions, offsite meetings, and hosted events now pull attendees away from the floor more than ever. Executive-style shows like TCA are built for quality, not quantity.

 

Looking Ahead to 2026

 

We’re already mapping our 2026 trucking show plan, and we want your input.

 

Which 2025 events gave you the best meetings (not just foot traffic)—MCE, TCA, MATS, or a niche event?

 

If we bring one thing to the next industry event, what’s most useful?

  • A live EpicWiFi demo
  • An EpicVue+ programming walkthrough
  • A hard cost model for your fleet 

 

Your answers help us show up smarter, stronger, and aligned with what fleets actually need in 2026.

 

Email us to share your thoughts or to set up a quick chat at the next event. We’ll answer the WHY and bring the bandwidth.