I spent a few days in Nashville last month for the MEDCO Customer Show, where our team sat in on training sessions, talked with distributors and manufacturers, and spent plenty of time walking the show floor looking at what was new.

Going into a show like MEDCO, I usually have a long list of new products and topics I want to learn more about while I’m there. This time, one thing I kept noticing was just how much there is for a distributor to take in before deciding what actually makes sense to bring back to the truck.

During the training sessions, manufacturers had the opportunity to spend more time explaining their products, showing how they worked, and answering questions from distributors. Once the show floor opened, those distributors were surrounded by even more new tools and equipment, special offers, demonstrations, and opportunities to add something different to their inventory.

Watching that process gave me a better appreciation for how many decisions go into stocking a tool truck. Space is limited, and every product taking up room needs a reason to be there. A new tool may look interesting on the show floor, but a distributor still has to think about which customers could use it, whether the price makes sense for their route, what they already have in stock, and how confident they feel explaining or demonstrating it once they get back home.

It also made me think about how much new product information distributors are expected to keep up with throughout the year. We see hundreds of product announcements come through our inboxes and that’s before you account for everything manufacturers are introducing at shows, through promotions, or directly to their customers.

That’s something I plan to keep in mind as we plan our coverage. Showing you a new product is useful, but giving you enough information to understand where it fits, what it does differently, and whether it might make sense for your customers is much more valuable.

We came home from Nashville with plenty of new products to share, along with interviews, demonstrations, and other coverage from the show. I hope it all gives you a little more information to work with the next time you’re deciding what deserves a spot on your truck!