Triumph
Leveraged MATS to Bring Products to Market, Gather Instant Feedback, and Build Carrier Relationships
Triumph occupies a unique strategic position at the intersection of financial services and freight tech. While historically recognized as a leader in factoring and payment networks, the company has undergone a significant evolution to become a holistic fintech provider for the transportation industry. By expanding into banking, insurance, fuel programs, and equipment finance, Triumph aims to manage the entire financial lifecycle of a carrier. Central to this expansion is its long-standing partnership with the Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS), which serves as the primary platform for Triumph’s customer-centric product innovation .
Keith Shepelwich, Head of Carrier Success, Triumph
Challenge:
Triumph is competing for market share against other financial technology companies, which requires rapid innovation and immediate market adoption, but their target audience lives a nonstop lifestyle on the road. Making it nearly impossible to access the primary users of their tech for the focused conversations required for meaningful product feedback or the introduction of complex financial products. Additionally, Triumph faced the marketing challenge of brand pigeonholing; they needed an expedient and impactful way to inform the entire market that they expanded their offerings beyond factoring to encourage adoption and build partnerships.
Solution:
Triumph utilized MATS as a strategic bridge to bypass the noise of the digital age and facilitate rare, face-to-face engagement. Their approach was two-fold: first, they implemented an “Engineering-on-the-Floor” strategy, bringing developers and engineers to the booth specifically to listen to carrier feedback. Second, they utilized MATS as a premier launchpad for new brands, such as their banking solution, Loadpay. To solidify these relationships, Triumph transitioned from transactional selling to relational marketing by sponsoring Pro Talks education sessions and hospitality events like the Opening Reception and Texas BBQ truck to engage thousands of attendees leaving them with a positive impression of their brand as a partner within the MATS trucking community.
Results:
The strategic presence at MATS has delivered tangible market leadership and accelerated product adoption. The launch of Loadpay at the show resulted in the immediate opening of thousands of accounts, effectively scaling a new brand from zero to national visibility within a single event cycle. By deploying engineers to the floor, Triumph successfully turned qualitative feedback into real-world product improvements and new feature sets. The company has seen a significant increase in product awareness across its entire suite, replacing its legacy reputation with a modern identity as the premier partner for carriers.
Realtime feedback: Turning Conversations into new products
One of the most sophisticated marketing tactics Triumph employs at MATS is the intentional integration of their technical team into the sales environment. Rather than staffing the booth exclusively with sales professionals, Triumph ensures that the “people that actually build—the engineers and the developers” are present to have one-on-one conversations. Keith Shepelwich notes that this direct access is “super vital” because it creates a high-fidelity feedback loop that office-bound modeling cannot replicate.
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By hearing exactly what problems truckers are having, Triumph can go back and help solve those issues with precision. Shepelwich emphasizes that this process is foundational to their growth, stating that they have “seen conversations flow from here to create new products or improvements” based on the unique insights gathered right on the show floor.
This strategy effectively turns MATS into a live R&D laboratory. Because the trucking industry is a “365, 24-7” operation, the opportunity to sit with a carrier for several minutes to “really hear about the issues they’re having” is a rare and precious commodity. Triumph understands that “trucking is such a wide, crazy industry” that everyone has a different niche and story. By bringing the builders to the show, Triumph ensures that their product roadmap is not based on assumptions but on the “information, experience, and technology” required to solve real-world problems. This focus on “listening first” has allowed Triumph to build a suite of financial tools that carriers actually need, ensuring their technology remains the “backbone” of the industry.
Strategic Launchpad and Hospitality Marketing
Beyond research, Triumph utilizes MATS as the definitive “Go-To-Market” engine for its newest financial brands. The rollout of Loadpay, Triumph’s banking solution, serves as the ultimate case study for this launch velocity. By introducing the brand at MATS, Triumph was able to “tell the story” to thousands of truckers simultaneously in a high-energy environment. Shepelwich points out that “what a better place to do it” than at a show where the booth is “nonstop” and the venue is “packed.” This strategy successfully established the brand’s identity and led to the creation of thousands of accounts, proving that MATS is the single most effective place to scale product awareness and drive adoption for new fintech entries.
To deepen this brand awareness, Triumph leans heavily into relational marketing through high-impact hospitality. By sponsoring the Opening Reception and providing a “sample of some good Texas barbecue” from a truck driven and operated by the “Triumph family,” the company builds emotional equity that a standard booth interaction cannot achieve. Shepelwich describes this as a “labor of love” designed to “put the carriers first” and show them “how important they are.” This cultural alignment is woven into the thread of who Triumph is as an organization. By giving back to the folks who represent the “backbone of America,” Triumph has created a palpable excitement surrounding their presence. As they look toward the 55th anniversary of the show, Triumph remains committed to being “right in the middle of it,” using the show floor to honor the community while continuing to guide the industry’s financial future.
Conclusion:
Triumph’s consistent, high-impact presence at MATS illustrates the profound value of merging technical thought leadership with authentic relational marketing. By utilizing the show as both a “high-velocity product laboratory” and a “strategic launchpad,” Keith Shepelwich and his team have successfully transitioned Triumph into a comprehensive fintech powerhouse. The “Engineering-on-the-Floor” strategy ensures their solutions are built for the road, while their “Labor of Love” hospitality ensures their brand is trusted in the heart of the community. As Triumph continues to innovate, MATS will remain the essential venue for turning meaningful conversations into the technological tools that keep America moving.
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