Freightliner Display at MATS 2014

This year I took a day to stop in at the Mid-America Truck Show (MATS). Even though I was only able to stay for a single day, I must admit it was a great experience. The show covered over 1,000,000 square feet and even if I had been able to attend the entire time, it would have been a huge challenge to see all the exhibits and vendors. If you have never had the opportunity to attend, I highly suggest heading out there yourself the next time it’s going on.

As some of you know, I am a member and Wellness Ambassador for Rolling Strong™. And this year at MATS, they were demonstrating a product that I have been waiting all year for a chance to try out. The Freightliner In-Cab Fitness (FIT) System, was co-developed by Bob Perry, the Trucker Trainer™, and Sean Mohr in collaboration with Dr. Josef Loczi and Freightliner engineering and product marketing.

It is designed made to make staying healthy and in shape on the road just that much easier. I have met  Bob and Sean in the past and both were eager to get their hands on me. To have me use the system, as well as give me a rundown of what all the FIT System can do. For the next two hours they showed me the system and encouraged me to get in a full workout. I never thought that one day I would be working out in front of hundreds of people in a convention center, enjoying it and having fun.

Tom using the Fit System

In the short time I had with it, I managed to work out with groups of muscles I had completely forgotten I even had. Surprisingly later that night, I was not even that sore. Despite working out more than I typically would have on my own. The  FIT System was designed to give the most benefit, with the least amount of harmful impact on the muscles and joints. Something I can say from personal experience seems to be the case. This last winter I have done a variety of exercises in my truck, ranging from using light weights, resistance bands, too simple exercises that required no special equipment. While these are effective and worked out well for me, I enjoyed the simplicity of the FIT System and the fact that I was able to work on everything from cardio, to strength exercises, and rehabilitation type workouts. All with just a few simple adjustments. I could go from doing a standing workout to bench type exercises all in a matter of a few short moments. It truly is a versatile system for someone who is looking for a compact solution that allows you a wide range of exercises in one simple package.

FIT System

The FIT System although designed for Freightliner trucks, is compatible with almost every truck on the market. Installation is simple with just a wrench, changing between the standing and bench style exercises took barely no time at all. Sean has spent a great deal of time trying to ensure that the system will work with as many manufacturers models as possible. Overall I spent about two hours at the demo booth and have to say I was impressed with it immensely.

It’s nice to see a manufacturer such as Freightliner taking a lead in driver health and safety in a way such as this. At a pricing point of $69.99, this is definitely going down as a must have purchase of mine. I plan on picking one up at the Great American Truck Show in August at the Dallas Convention Center. I hope to see you there checking out the system, as well as the latest trends in the industry; both for trucking and the rest and well being of truckers.

For more coverage on MATS or the FIT System, check out my friends over at 365trucking. Also for video’s of FIT System in action, please check out  Freightliners’ TeamRunSmart page.