Every industry has its big game, and for trucking, the Mid-America Trucking Show might be the Super Bowl, but the 2025 Texas Trucking Show in Houston felt like one of the championships and a backyard BBQ rolled into one. I say one of the championships because in 16 days, the Walcott Truckers Jamboree at Iowa 81 will kick off. Packed wall-to-wall with custom builds, equipment innovations, and vendors from every corner of the supply chain, these shows aren’t just about rigs, relationships, relevance, and remembering people still make the industry tick.
Bruce Wilson’s Scania America tour in the Scania 770S drew crowds like a rock star. For many U.S. drivers, seeing a European cabover on American soil can be shocking but it makes a statement. With its sleek European design and roaring V8 heart, this truck represented something bigger than cross-continental admiration. It was a reminder that the trucking industry is global, interconnected, and evolving faster than most of us realize. Watching drivers line up just to get a photo with the Scania, or to talk shop with Bruce, made it clear that inspiration still matters. Joe Ethiridge, AKA “Truck Show Joe” and Southern Transport, never disappoints and showed out with his American Peterbilt, a 2004 379 Ultra Day Cab masterpiece with a CAT 550 to represent American power alongside Rex Oilfield Services, who showed up with an entire fleet of impressive artwork on wheels.
The vendors came in force too FleetPride, 7Fleet Diesel, DTIS Direct, Carrier’s Edge, Utility Trailer Southeast Texas, Tenstreet, and even the Slurpee truck rolled in, passing out brain freezes and branding like pros. The booths are full of swag and conversation. Real conversations. Drivers looking for new financing options stopped at booths like CAG Truck Capital and Apex Capital. Maintenance managers swapped notes with Epika Fleet Services and checked Advanced Fleet Maintenance offerings. From insurance, factoring, parts, tarps, and tech there was something for everyone who earns their living behind the wheel or the scenes.
What stood out was the sheer diversity of solutions on display. Chrome World polished up its latest gear next to The Chrome Stop, while Lube Squad, FASS Diesel, and Fidelity Premier Group pitched in for the performance crowd. Companies like FullBay, OnCallGPS Video, and Right Weigh reminded fleets that tech can streamline everything from compliance to cargo balance.
Then there was the human factor drivers, catching up with old friends, small fleet owners meeting potential partners, and dozens of folks shaking hands with people they’d only ever seen on LinkedIn or YouTube. The show floor became a real-world social media feed, only with less sales speak and more genuine “Where you headed next?” energy.
The media presence grows every year. This show became content from creators filming truck walkarounds to publications gathering insights for national features. Face-to-face storytelling is still undefeated in a world full of AI-generated headlines and Zoom webinars.The Greater Houston Trucking Association wrapped up the show, sponsoring the After Party 2025 at the Kirby Ice House with Stars like Logistics Lounge, Mutha Trucker, and Truck Parking Club. The 2025 Texas Trucking Show was a reminder that trucking is still a people business, and people still need a place to connect. Events still move the needle. Whether you were there for the Scania, the Peterbilt, the Slurpees, the swag, or just the sense of community, it proved trucking still thrives where people connect, not just online but face-to-face, across parking lots, barstools, and booth aisles. Need a major all-encompassing event this year, not just focused on trucks, Freightwaves Future of Freight Festival is coming up October 21-22, 2025.
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