The American Truck Dealers is gearing up for its ATD Convention & Expo, which runs April 23-26, at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.
According to Kyle Treadway, ATD chairman, the top issue facing the commercial truck industry heading into the convention is credit availability for dealers and their customers.

"Dealers are facing critical floorplan financing and operational credit line issues," said Treadway, who has been dealer principal of Kenworth Sales Company in Salt Lake City, Utah, since 2000. "Our customers are struggling to qualify for equipment purchases under today's standards."

"The ATD convention is a time for dealers to come together, meet with their manufacturers, talk to the suppliers, business management providers and financial partners," said Pamela Hall, ATD convention chairwoman.

Hall, who has been the dealer at Hall Volvo, GMC, Isuzu and Hino in Tyler, Texas, for the past six years, said another issue facing dealers is the decline in used truck values affecting new trucks sales.

"In too many cases the amounts owed on the trucks exceed their value," Hall said. "The negative cash trends affect all businesses. It is a problem both in the medium- and heavy-duty sectors."

Keynote speakers at the event include Treadway; Dennis Slagle, president and CEO, North American Trucks (Volvo and Mack); and Jim Meil, economist for the Eaton Corp.

"Our industry is changing rapidly," said Treadway. "From advances in technology to market segmentation, what was true yesterday is likely evolving to something completely different today."

Dealers will have an opportunity to meet face-to-face with their manufacturer representatives at 12 franchise meetings and with suppliers on the expo floor. More than a dozen workshop sessions will be offered for dealers and their managers to learn ways to improve their business operations.

The winner and runner up of the ATD/Heavy Duty Trucking Truck Dealer of the Year will be announced April 24. The winners of the ATD Commercial Truck of the Year for new medium- and heavy-duty trucks sold in the U.S. will be selected April 25.