#FacesOfMats - End of show roundup

The amount of people attending MATS is mind-blowing enough in and of itself, but the number of those people who are also OOIDA members meant it was hard to go from Point A to Point B without having to take a slight detour to chat with (or photograph) people who were rocking their Association apparel.

The thing about our members in general, is they are some of the kindest, most professional folks you're ever going to meet anywhere. The ones I met, visited with, and in most cases, took pictures of, were all delightful. And nobody gave me a hard time about taking pictures with my tablet, either!

Life members Nathan & Elizabeth Ricks stop by the Land Line Now booth in the North Lobby.

Life Member Tom Smith taking in some of the sights in the West Wing Exhibition Hall.

Members Gina and Brian Kuhn, working the booth for Church of the Traveling Steering Wheel, a conference call church service geared for over-the-road truckers who are away from home.

OOIDA members Debbie and John Newgent at the Women In Trucking Salute on Saturday.

Life Member Aaron Stoltzfoos and his wife Esther. They've been married for 51 years.

Member Paul Daugherty, his wife Ramona, and their kids Chris and Hannah, take a break from shopping for truck parts.

Life Member David Hutchinson, and his son Blaine, age 7, were on the lookout for Peterbilts on Friday.

Life Member Russell Short,aka "White Shadow" in homage to the TV show, said this was the first time in 10 years he'd made it to Louisville for MATS.

More #FacesOfMATS

We're back with another round of pictures of folks who are either working or hanging out here in Louisville.

Duane Donner, an OOIDA senior member from Buckeye, Ariz., drives for the Walmart Road Team. This is his third MATS overall, and second here as a member of the Road Team.

We ran into Life Member Sandy Long, an owner-operator from Marceline, Mo. This is her first time at the Big Show. 

Another OOIDA Life Member, Charles Clendaniel and Karen Brown, both of Lewes, Del., were walking around the West Wing. A 40-year trucking industry veteran, Charles said his favorite trucks are Peterbilts.

The faces of MATS

All due respect to the amazing displays set up by the vendors here (and they are Capital-A Amazing), but the best thing about the show is the people you meet, either in the EXPO Center or at the Papa John's Lot before or after. Here are just a few of the folks we've run into, the "Faces of MATS"...

Tomio Watanabe is a trucker and OOIDA member from Las Vegas. Born in Japan, he came to America to be a pilot but found his way into trucking instead. For the past five years, he's been covering MATS as a freelance journalist for FullLoad, a Japanese trucking magazine.

Shawn Moore, Sr., better known as "Big Sexy," is an OOIDA life member from New Madison, Ohio. The Patriots logo on the side of his truck is to honor his kids' school, the Tri-Valley Patriots. 

Candy Bass, aka "Grandma Candy" is an OOIDA life member with over 41 years of trucking experience. She can be found holding court in the Papa John's Lot.