The Indiana Convention Center will stage a truckload of must-see events when the Work Truck Show 2012 motors into Indianapolis March 6-8. The conference is held in conjunction with the NTEA Annual Convention. The Work Truck Show runs March 6-8, with educational programming, including the Green Truck Summit, beginning March 5.

NTEA, the Association for the Work Truck Industry, represents 1,600 companies that manufacture, distribute, install, sell and repair commercial trucks, truck bodies, truck equipment, trailers and accessories. Buyers of work trucks and the major commercial truck chassis manufacturers also belong to the association. NTEA is based in Farmington Hills, Mich.

Government fleet managers and other trucking professionals will find new products, workshops on green technologies and more at the 2012 expo, which features 500,000 square feet of vocational trucks and equipment. More than 550 exhibitors will offer technical support and display their newest products. The conference offers more than 60 programs on upfitting, regulatory compliance and organization management.

The Green Truck Summit is held in conjunction with the Work Truck Show and is jointly produced by NTEA and CALSTART. The summit is a major clean transportation technologies and solutions consortium for the industry. Pasadena, Calif.-based CALSTART is a member-supported organization of 140 firms, fleets and agencies worldwide that supports a growing high-tech, clean transportation industry.

The Work Truck Show will host its annual Green Truck Ride-and-Drive event, featuring commercial vehicles that incorporate advances in hybrid technology and alternative fuel applications. This year’s Green Truck Ride-and-Drive is scheduled March 6 and 7. All attendees can take the wheel or take a ride in the Ride-and-Drive, as well as meet with suppliers of clean vehicle solutions. Participation is free with trade show access.

George W. Bush, the 43rd president of the United States, will deliver the keynote address at the President’s Breakfast and 48th Annual NTEA Meeting. The former president will offer his thoughts on eight years in the Oval Office, the challenges facing the United States in the 21st century, the power of freedom, the role of faith and other issues. Note: the breakfast event is sold out.

President Bush was sworn into office on Jan. 20, 2001, and served as commander in chief for two consecutive terms. Before his presidency, he served for six years as Texas’ governor.

Since leaving office, the former president has focused his attention on developing the George W. Bush Presidential Center at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, which will encompass the Presidential Library and Museum, archives, and the George W. Bush Institute.

U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu will give the keynote address at the 2012 Green Truck Summit on Monday, March 5. Chu is a scientist and co-winner of the 1997 Nobel Prize for Physics. As energy secretary, he is charged with helping implement President Obama’s agenda to invest in clean energy, reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil, address the global climate crisis and create new jobs.

Government fleet managers will find a bounty of useful sessions at the 2012 meeting, such as:

Making Vehicle Investment Decisions Using Life-Cycle Cost Analysis

Wednesday, March 7

Financial constraints often force fleet managers to choose between two or more investment alternatives. A net present value (NPV) life-cycle cost analysis can determine the actual return on investment for each alternative, which will, in turn, allow managers to make the best long-term investment decisions. The session will show attendees how to make accurate NPV life-cycle cost studies using the NTEA’s Life-Cycle Cost Analysis spreadsheet programs.

Presented by: Bob Johnson, Director of Fleet Relations, NTEA

Develop Your Fleet Manager’s Tool Box

Truck Fleet Manager Training Session and Networking Luncheon

Wednesday, March 7

By using technology solutions, attendees can gain insight into their fleet’s overall performance. Today’s hands-on managers must leverage various technical tools at their disposal to effectively analyze and manage fleet performance. During the session, attendees will learn:

• How to use technology solutions to proactively analyze data for continuous improvement
• Strategies to leverage economies of scale, improve performance and reduce costs
• Various modeling techniques to promote continuous improvement

Presented by: Steve Saltzgiver, Group Director of Fleet Operations, Coca Cola Refreshments, Inc. Fleet Operations (Atlanta, Ga.)

A ticket is required for the event. The event is included in the Complete Event Package and Conference and Trade Show Package, and is also available separately. The session is offered exclusively to fleet managers.

Here is a full course schedule.

Go here for more information and to register.