TMC's Fall Meeting Set for Sept. 24-27 in Nashville

In addition to an array of technical sessions, the Technology & Maintenance Council's 2007 Fall Meeting, scheduled Sept. 24-27 in Nashville, Tenn., will include an advanced technology display and a technician training fair held in conjunction

with the third annual TMCSuperTech national technician competition.
Following the meeting theme, "Exploring Advanced Technology," the lead technical session, with assistance from TMC's Future Truck Committee, will examine what truck technology might look like in the next 5-15 years and how those changes will impact fleet users, as well as federal regulations, emission regulations and infrastructures changes on the horizon. Other minitechnical sessions will follow the advanced technology dealing with specific truck components.
A key feature in the advanced technology display will be an initial public viewing of Detroit Diesel's 2010 emission technology. This will afford fleet operators the first glimpse of new SCR technology and related changes in the next generation of clean diesel technology.
The meeting's final technical session on technician hiring strategies will focus on identifying high-performing employees from pre-employment screening that can produce competitive advantages for employers.
TMC's new Corrosion Control Action Committee will meet for the first time during the Fall Meeting to start crafting substantial solutions and learn what others have done to resolve the corrosive effects of deicing chemicals on equipment.
Tuesday's Industry Luncheon speaker will be Tim Johnson, division chief for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Crash Avoidance and Heavy Vehicle Research Division. Johnson's division has responsibility for most of NHTSA's heavy-vehicle research and also light-vehicle applied research to support agency rulemaking. Prior to his work at NHTSA, he managed heavy-vehicle ITS programs for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's Office of Research and Technology.
TMC and its Professional Technician Development Committee (PTDC) continue to build upon the success of the first two national technician competitions as they prepare for TMCSuperTech2007.
The biggest change for the third-annual competition is the increase in the number of skill stations to 12, allowing a greater field of competitors to the hands-on competition following the written test. The increase reflects the PTDC desire to provide additional competition opportunity to the growing number of technicians from fleets and state trucking associations headed for TMCSuperTech2007.
In addition, the stakes have gone up for the technician competitors. Not only will the TMCSuperTech2007 winner take home more than $10,000 in prizes, the top 84 technicians from the written test will each receive a laptop computer and other merchandise provided by Friends of the Technician sponsors.
All TMC meeting attendees and TMCSuperTech2007 contestants can participate in PTDC's Technician Training Fair on Wednesday. Sessions will be held on cooling systems, trailer bushings, electrical, tires, tire inflation systems, on-board vehicle diagnostics and career path development for technicians. This training qualifies for continuing education credit units accepted by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation.
Registration fees on or before Aug. 31 are $325 for TMC members and $425 for nonmembers. Registration fees after Aug. 31 are $425 for TMC members and $525 for nonmembers. TMCSuperTech2007 registration is free to TMC Technician members and $100 for nonmembers. A spouse program is available.
Meeting promotions, registration and information about TMCSuperTech 2007 are available at tmc.truckline.com or by calling (703) 838-1776.