Gerry Mead, executive director of innovation for Phillips Industries will present “Impact of Better Products and Changing Industries” during Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week Jan. 28-31, 2019 at the Mirage in Las Vegas. The workshop session will highlight technology advances in component development and intelligent trucks coupled with increased customer vehicle uptime expectations.  

Mead will highlight how IoT and high-tech transportation will transform the future of the heavy duty aftermarket with an accompanying technology adaption roadmap to ensure businesses are keeping up with the tools, training and materials they will need for the future.

Mead joined Phillips Industries in 2017, bringing more than two decades of multi-faceted experiences in the trucking industry with him. He previously served as senior vice president of equipment and maintenance of US Xpress, Inc. and has worked for some of the major brands in the industry - Yellow Freight, JB Hunt, Walmart Transportation and PAM Transport. Mead has received several industry accolades including International Service Diamond Club Award - 2002, Fleet Maintenance Magazine maintenance scholarship - 2012, HDT Magazine Fleet Heavy Duty Trucking Innovator of Year - 2016, Tennessee Trucking Association Maintenance Professional of the Year - 2017. He was also recognized by Commercial Carrier Journal as a CCJ Innovator in 2017. Mead is an 8-year veteran of the US Marine Corps, where he was awarded two Naval Achievement Medals for Maintenance Excellence.

The 14th annual HDAW will be held Jan. 28-31, 2019 at The Mirage in Las Vegas. HDAW is the largest North American gathering of the independent heavy-duty aftermarket industry. More than 2,500 executives and managers from the U.S., Canada and six other countries – including distributors, suppliers, service providers, educators and industry media – attended the 2018 conference in Las Vegas.

HDAW is a business-to-business, executive conference presented by a joint operating committee of industry leaders from 12 distinguished industry associations: American Council of Frame and Alignment Specialists (ACOFAS), Association of Diesel Specialists (ADS), Auto Care Association/ HDDA, Commercial Vehicle Solutions Network (CVSN), HDA-Truck Pride, Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association (HDMA), APRA's Heavy Duty Remanufacturing Group (HDRG), International Truck Parts Association (ITPA), Overseas Automotive Council (OAC), Power Heavy Duty, Service Specialists Association (SSA), and VIPAR Heavy Duty.