The American Trucking Associations, along with the Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association division of the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association, announced on Thursday they are working with global event management and trade show firm Messe Frankfurt Inc. to develop a new, biennial North American-based truck and transportation event.

Preliminary plans call for an event to be held in early fall, in odd-numbered years, opposite the similar, already established European-based show known as IAA, held in even-numbered years at roughly the same time.

“In recent years, it has become increasingly clear there is demand from consumers and manufacturers for a North American trucking industry exhibition with the prominence and importance befitting this essential industry,” said MEMA President and CEO Steve Handschuh. “Today we are pleased to take the first step toward making that show a reality.”

According to a spokesperson with HDMA/MEMA, this new show will be separate from ATA’s Management Conference and Exhibition, which also runs in the fall. Organizers of this new show are still working out exactly where and when it will be held, presumably starting in 2017.

“While ATA already provides fleet executives with a number of opportunities to see the latest in truck, trailer and other technology, we believe there is an appetite for a larger-scale event," said ATA President and CEO Bill Graves. "We look forward to working with HDMA/MEMA, and Messe Frankfurt to explore the possibilities of a new exhibition, one that promises to bring all the major players in our industry together under one roof."

The announcement comes as the Mid-America Trucking Show is under way now through Saturday in Louisville, Ky. It has generally been regarded as the largest trucking show in the U.S. However, this year not a single truck manufacturer is participating, with some saying they would prefer a show every other year on the opposite years from IAA. Some other equipment makers have also pulled out.

“The concerns of the industry in Europe and North America – safety, fuel economy, emissions and efficiency – are universal," said Messe Frankfurt President Dennis Smith. "We look forward to the potential benefit a biennial show of this kind can provide both the trucking industry and the suppliers and manufacturers that support them."