HDAW 2006 UPDATE        ECONOMIC TRENDS     

ASSOCIATION NEWS            

FACTOID

HDAW 2006 UPDATE

Special Discounted HDAW Conference Fee Offered to HDDA Members Who Register by Dec. 15  
 
All HDDA members recently received information about the special $300 Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week (HDAW) conference rate for those who register by Dec. 15. The first-ever HDAW, Jan. 23-27, 2006 at The Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas, is an unprecedented week-long conference designed exclusively to benefit heavy duty aftermarket distributors and suppliers. HDAW will provide, in one place and one week, an event with unparalleled value, including superb educational offerings, a world class 400-booth trade show, one-on-one business meetings and limitless networking opportunities.   

This unique, high-quality conference program � developed by distributors for distributors � will attract the industry�s leading supplier and distributor executives. The special $300 member conference fee includes all educational sessions, access to the trade show, a breakfast, two lunches and two happy hours. Plus, those members interested in one-on-one meetings with top-level supplier executives, may participate at no additional charge. Ninety-one manufacturers have already registered for these important meetings. These meetings with senior level supplier executives offer unrivaled value, and are available only to the members of HDAW sponsoring groups. Please note that the deadline for one-on-one registration forms is Friday, Dec. 2 by 12 p.m.   
 
HDAW is the one must-attend heavy duty conference for 2006. For more information on registering for the conference and for hotel reservations at our special room rate, visit www.hdaw.org. You may also contact show organizer Bill Glasgow at 708-226-1300 or HDDA executive director Lee Kadrich at 301-654-6664. 

Read Why Leading Distributors Will Attend Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week
 
Leading heavy duty distributors explain in the following testimonials why they and their companies feel HDAW is so important to attend. 
      
�HDAW offers absolutely the best educational programs I�ve seen at a single event as well as great networking opportunities.�
Dave Scheer, Inland Truck Parts Company

�The first-ever Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week is a great opportunity to find out the latest product information, talk to suppliers, network with peers and learn what's going on in the industry.�   
Dick Bell, Bell Frame & Brake Service, Inc. 

�We here at Mutual Wheel Co. are very excited to attend the first-ever Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week. The entire industry, the HD aftermarket, has needed to come together in one spot for a long time for many reasons. Done better, as a single voice, we will face the challenges of the future.�
Dave Engstrom, Mutual Wheel Co.

�Where else can you go meet with industry friends and leaders, have one-on-one meetings with your vendors, learn first hand about the future heavy duty trends and attend seminars on how to improve my business? One location, one week, HDAW.�
Dave Bell, Erie Drive Train, Inc.

�Bringing together this many manufacturers in the industry shows the unity of the manufacturers wanting to display their products in one show, where you as a distributor can see every major manufacturer.�    
Mike Schneider, Seneca Auto & Truck Supply

�We are excited about the entire industry coming together for one week. This event will allow us to network with vendors, customers and industry friends, saving us time and money that would have been spent trying to attend several smaller meetings in different cities.�
Paul Weller, Weller Truck Reman Center
 
 "FleetPride views HDAW as an event that provides an opportunity to attend heavy duty specific educational events, listen and learn from presenting industry leaders and meet one-on-one with essential suppliers to the aftermarket."
Hugh Charvat, FleetPride
  
�To us, HDAW is an excellent opportunity for an industry-wide yearly meeting for two primary reasons. First, from an economic standpoint, it reduces the cost for both distributors and manufacturers trying to schedule and support multiple meetings throughout the year. Second, HDAW will be the vehicle to make these meetings more productive and worthwhile by offering a more diversified educational and subject offering, providing the opportunity to attend the ones that appeal to you.� 
Jim Robinson, Truck Pro, Inc.

ECONOMIC TRENDS

Heavy Truck Sales Increase 16.3 Percent in October

Class 8 truck sales continue to outshine last year. The October increase was 14.4 percent to 22,335 units compared with 19,523 a year earlier.

Sales of mid-range, medium- and heavy-duty trucks, Classes 4 through 8, totaled 45,674 units in the month, up 17.7 percent from October 2004. However, total truck sales, including Classes 1 through 3, dropped 21.7 percent from a year earlier to 602,644 units. Sales of Class 1 through 3 trucks totaled 556,970 units for the month, down 23.8 percent from October 2004.

Freightliner led in Class 8 sales for October. The company's sales totaled 6,720 units, up 14.4 percent from a year earlier.

Source: Automotive News, Nov. 29, 2005

October Truck Sales Increase 14.4 Percent

U.S. retail sales of heavy-duty trucks had their smallest monthly gain of 2005 in October � 14.4 percent higher than a year earlier � but still the second-best October in history.

Truck manufacturers and analysts said the Class 8 market, which has been operating at a blistering pace, remains strong and that they expect fast sales to continue into 2006 as fleets replace aging equipment.

Truck makers sold 22,335 units in October, trailing only the 22,945 sold in October 1999, the strongest-ever year for Class 8 sales, according to data from Ward�s Communications.

Source: Transport Topics, Nov. 22

ASSOCIATION NEWS

AAIA Receives Three Top Association TRENDS All-Media Awards

AAIA was recently awarded three top awards in the 2005 Association TRENDS All-Media Awards competition. The competition has been rewarding excellence in media for more than 25 years, and is known as the most prestigious competition exclusively for association products.

This year, more than 400 products were entered in the competition. AAIA won gold awards in three categories: best trade magazine for the June/July 2005 issue of Aftermarket Insider; best promotional exhibit for the Nash Metropolitan front desk in the new AAIA headquarters; and best graphic design of an association piece for AAIA�s �We Moved� license plate mailer. The awards will be presented during A Salute to Association Excellence, scheduled for Feb. 10, 2006 at the Capital Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C.

AAPEX 2005: A Winning Experience for Buyers and Exhibitors

The 2005 Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX), held Nov. 1-4, in Las Vegas, set new records, exceeded registration goals and created an exceptional business environment for this year�s buyers and exhibitors.

AAPEX 2005 had the following successes:

• Record-breaking 2,063 exhibitors, reflecting the value of AAPEX and the growth and strength of the AAPEX brand;
• 20 percent increase in the number of buyers verifying on-site at AAPEX;
• Enhanced registration procedures that ensured quality buyers;
• Increased participation in the New Product and New Packaging Showcases with awards given to 27 companies in the New Product Showcase and three companies in the New Packaging Showcase;
• Record number of online pre-registrations;
• Well-organized on-site registration process with short lines and minimal waits created by new efficiencies and changes to the registration area;
• Record participation in the on-site raffle, a 2005 Ford Mustang sponsored by Motorcraft;
• Sold-out attendance at the AAPEX Town Hall breakfast meeting on Nov. 2.

�AAPEX 2005 was an all-around solid event for buyers and exhibitors. It was the best AAPEX to date,� said Bill Glasgow, Sr., AAPEX show manager.

Car Care Council Distributes Fall 2005 Stakeholders Report

The Car Care Council has put together a Fall 2005 Stakeholders Report that gives an update on how the campaign has progressed so far this year. Highlights include reinstating October as Fall Car Care Month; the creation of a vehicle check-up event DVD; and a blurb announcing the new vehicle owner's manual that will debut in 2006. 

To read the report, click here.

AAIA City Tour Begins Dec. 6 in Baltimore, Md.

AAIA will offer a regional networking event for distributors, repair shop owners and other businesses engaged in the aftermarket on Dec. 6 in Baltimore, Md. Co-sponsored by the Chesapeake Automotive Business Association (CABA), the event will open with a reception at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner and a panel discussion. The panel will address the marketplace impact of high fuel costs and changing vehicle technologies; the implications of Right to Repair success or failure; and motorist perceptions of our industry. The event will be held at the Hyatt Regency Inner Harbor in Baltimore, and the cost to attend is $20. 

AAIA, in collaboration with various state and regional associations, will be holding several regional meetings throughout the upcoming year. To register for the Baltimore meeting or for more information on upcoming regional events, contact Kellan Hetrick at 301-654-6664 or e-mail kellan.hetrick@aftermarket.org.

WELCOME NEW AAIA MEMBERS

Nov. 18-30, 2005

Dalian Baichuan Radiator S & T Co., Ltd., Dalian Liaoning, China (AIA)
Jackdaw International (Hao-yi, USA), Denver, Colo. (AIA)
TVS Madras Auto Service, Madras, India (AIA)
The Parts House (Florida), Jacksonville, Fla. (AWDA)

FACTOID

Taxing hybrids and other fuel-efficient cars and billing drivers for miles driven are among the approaches being suggested to avert a shortfall in money to maintain the nation's highways.

Source: Chicago Sun-Times, Nov. 27, 2005