MATS began when Paul K. Young, former Kentucky Motor Transport Association President, and a few industry friends had an idea. They wanted to develop a show in the eastern half of the United States, similar to the largest heavy-duty show at the time, the International Trucking Show in California, and more accessible than the North American Truck Show that had taken place in Boston for many years.
After discussing with industry contacts, developed over his years with KMTA and as a tire salesman, Paul felt there was enough interest to move forward. The goal was to create an event that was more accessible to professionals in the heavy-duty trucking industry, specifically owner-operators and fleets. Little did he know, he was laying the foundation for what would become the largest heavy-duty trucking tradeshow in the world. In 2001, the Truck Championship at MATS was renamed the PKY Truck Beauty Championship after Paul.
