NTEA history

NTEA has proudly served its membership and the work truck industry since 1964. The Association was formed principally as a sales and marketing organization for a small group of truck equipment distributors. The Truck Equipment and Body Distributors Association (or D/A as the NTEA was first named) served its original members from Cincinnati, Ohio. A series of management seminars was the new Association’s first scheduled activity. In 1967, a full-time executive was hired, and in 1978, the Association selected a suburb of Detroit, Michigan, the heart of the nation’s automotive industry as its headquarters. 

At its annual convention in Las Vegas in 1979, the Truck Equipment and Body Distributors Association officially became the National Truck Equipment Association. In March 2014, the Association announced the opening of its first location in Canada – a Government Relations office in Ottawa – to serve an important role in addressing the increasing challenges presented by international marketplace dynamics.

From its humble beginnings, NTEA has grown to become the exclusive representative of the commercial truck body and equipment industry. More than 2,000 distributorships, manufacturing firms, suppliers and various industry-associated companies are NTEA members.

NTEA’s suburban Detroit location allows management and staff engineers to work directly with the major truck chassis manufacturers on product and specification changes. This close relationship strengthens NTEA’s function as an information center and liaison between the chassis manufacturers, body and equipment manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, related industry firms, and end users.

View a slideshow of photos contributed by NTEA members. These historical images of their businesses through the years showcase the work truck industry’s evolution from the 1960s to modern times.