More than one thousand companies packed the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center in March for the Mid-America Trucking Show, the industry's foremost annual trade show, to showcase the latest and greatest items for trucks. Little surprise that the more than 1 million square feet of exhibit space yielded some finds. Here's just a taste:

Ice Sleeper
Kenworth introduced two new AeroCab Diamond sleepers, in 72-inch and 86-inch lengths. Diamond sleepers can be customized to the buyer's likes and budget. In the AeroCab design, the sleeper can be removed and the cab converted to an extended day cab for the next owner.

Spice it Up
Dana Spicer Air Disc Brakes (ADBs) are now factory options on select Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks. Many experts believe ADBs will be necessary to meet the new stopping standards for Class 8 trucks, expected from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this month. The ADBs save on maintenance, too. The list price upcharge is about $800 (www.dana.com).

Weigh to Go
A 2-inch round dashboard gauge is available from Air-Weigh ((888) 459-3444, www.air-weigh.com) for its AW5800 on-board scales. The gauge has three lines of print to provide various programmable weights: "Steer, Drive and Trlr," "Steer, Lift and Drive," or just "GVW and Net." Weights can be read from any Air-Weigh scale on the vehicle. Signals from the trailer are sent through the 7-pin cord by Air-Weigh's own multiplexing system.

Lock On
With cargo security an increasing concern, Kaba Mas ((888) 950-4715, www.kaba-mas.com), a Swiss provider of high security locking devices, introduced the Gitcon Series G50 trailer door locking system. The mechanical lock adapts to swing or roll-up doors. It has unique vandal- and tamper-resistant construction that defeats even the drilling out of rivets or bolts.

Turn On
Portland, Ore.-based ConMet ((800) 425-4827, www.conmet.com) introduced the TruTurn brake drum, which is machined both inside and outside to run true and minimize hot spots, with uniform drum thickness. The result: longer drum and lining life and minimized "brake judder." Unlike other drums which need balancing, TruTurn drums are inherently balanced.

Hidden Security
The Power In-Lock from Mi-Jack ((800)-IN-LOCK7, www.power-in-lock.com) operates inside trailer doors, hidden from view. Any attempt to drill out the lock makes opening almost impossible. A new electronically controlled remote access lock records all access to the trailer by individual user. The company says a team of four security experts could not defeat the Power In-Lock.

Disc Driver
Bendix must believe in the future of Air Disc Brakes in the United States. They're building a new factory in Frankfort, Ky., to build up to 120,000 ADBs a year. Currently, most manufacturers bring ADBs in from Europe where they've gained broad acceptance.

Cool It
Penray ((800) 373-6729, www.penray.com) is known for its coolant treatments and additives, and the innovative Need Release Extended Life Cooling System Treatment. They've applied their experience to Pencool 3500 small engine cooling system treatment. SCAs protect big-bore diesels from corrosion and liner pitting, lubricate water pumps and inhibit scale. Pencool 3500 does the same for smaller diesels in reefers, APUs, generator sets and even diesel pickup engines.

Brighten Up
Truck-Lite ((800) 562-5012, www.truck-lite.com) makes the Mini-Marker lamp, a single diode lamp less than 3/4-inch diameter and 3/4-inch deep. Embedded in epoxy, this lamp resists all damage, corrosion, theft and burnout. Its small size lets trailer builders place it on sills and roof structures too narrow for ordinary lamps. Truck-Lite also introduced interior strip lighting using white LEDs. Wabash National uses three 4-foot strips to light the interior of their 48-foot Wabash trailer, which also use the Mini-Markers.

Trucker's Aid
Universal Map has a 2004 Professional Drivers' Road Atlas (at (800) 829-6277; www.universalmap.com) with restricted truck route listings, low clearance listings, state fuel tax rates, and hazmat size and weight regulations, as well as 386 state and city maps. Everything you need to avoid having to stop and ask directions while on the job or off.