TMC Honors Industry Leaders, Professionals
TMC honored several industry leaders with a variety of awards for their service to the council and industry and awarded five professionals with its highest honor, the Silver Spark Plug, which recognizes professional excellence in commercial vehicle maintenance.

American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council honored several industry leaders with a variety of awards for their service to the council and industry and awarded five professionals with its highest honor, the Silver Spark Plug, which recognizes professional excellence in commercial vehicle maintenance.
Abhishek Bharadwaj, north central sales manager, Alcoa Wheel & Transportation Products; Alexandra Knight, manager, market segmentation, Class C Solutions Group, and Mark Willis, business development manager, HDA Truck Pride, were honored as Recognized Associates.
TMC also recognized Pedro Garza, service writer, Texas Disposal Systems, and Leonard Wheatley, maintenance supervisor, FleetPro Inc., with the Excellence in Maintenance Supervision Award.
“For more than six decades, TMC has striven to advance the professional standards for commercial vehicle maintenance,” said Robert Braswell, TMC executive director. “The technicians and executives we honor here are doing that every day – and they all set the bar for excellence in this industry every day.”
This year’s Silver Spark Plug honorees are: Winston Minchew, training manager, Old Dominion Freight Line, Thomasville, North Caroline; Dave Dettman, president, QTC Transportation Holdings Freeport, Illinois; Homer Hogg, manager, technical development, Travel Centers of America, Lakeland, Florida; Joe Long, director, heavy duty business development, Old World Industries New Fairfield, Connecticut and Larry Rambeaux, national fleet and truck representative, Purkeys, Lowell, Arkansas.
“Only individuals who represent the best of our council in their commitment to improved engineering and maintenance standards through the development of TMC recommended practices are honored with the Silver Spark Plug,” said Jeff Harris TMC general chairman, vice president of maintenance at USA Truck. “I congratulate all these winners for their achievement and commitment.”
In addition, the Council announced the graduation of its inaugural group of candidates from the TMC of Tomorrow Leadership Development Program. The program is dedicated to developing future leaders of TMC and the transportation industry. The Class of 2019 graduates includes:
Amanda Schuier, Quality Transport Co
Bryan Stewart, JB Transport
Chuck Kerr, FedEx Freight
David Piliro, Dunbar Armored
Matt Nolan, FedEx Freight
Daniel Mustafa, Travel Centers of America
Brandon Pashby, Ozark Motor Lines
Brandon Fackey, Clark Power Services Inc.
Mark Kennedy, Swift Transportation
More Maintenance

Mack Expands Extended Coverage With Four Chassis System Plans
Mack Trucks' new system-specific coverage options allow heavy-duty fleets to select protection for driveline, cab, HVAC, electronics, and advanced safety components.
Read More →
What an Out-of-Service Order Really Costs, and How to Plan for One
The repair invoice is the first number you see — and often one of the smallest. Here’s what else an out-of-service order can cost a fleet, and how planning can reduce the damage.
Read More →
International Launches Online Truck Parts Store
Fleetrite.com lets fleets and repair shops find OEM and all-makes parts, check prices and availability, and order without calling a parts counter.
Read More →
Continental Introduces New Regional Truck Tires
Continental says its new Generation 5 steer and drive tires for regional operations offer longer tread life, with estimated mileage gains of 22% and 19%, respectively.
Read More →
How AI Can Help Your Techs’ Efficiency
The technician shortage isn't going away, and no single fix can close the gap on its own. Trent Broberg makes the case that AI's real job in the shop is protecting the billable hours and job satisfaction of the techs you already have, not asking them to work faster.
Read More →
Wrong Repair Prompts Recall of Freightliner, Western Star 4x2 Trucks
DTNA is recalling more than 2,400 trucks that received an incompatible software fix instead of the hardware repair required to address brake valve corrosion.
Read More →
Truck Drivers Need More Than Another Alert
Fleets have more visibility into truck health, safety events, and driver activity than ever. The next challenge is turning all that information into useful guidance for the person who has to decide what to do next.
Read More →
The Maintenance Checks Trucking Fleets Should Prioritize Before Fall Freight Picks Up
Making it through August isn’t the same as being ready for the next several months of operation. Find out what systems may have suffered from summer heat and need to be checked out before fall.
Read More →
What Three Fleets Are Doing Differently When Buying Truck Parts in 2026
With freight improving but costs still climbing, fleet maintenance executives explain how they're balancing price, quality, and supplier relationships.
Read More →
Paccar Recalls 2027 Trucks Built This Summer for Possible Electrical Problem
The nearly 6,000 Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks in the recall could potentially lose engine power, among other things.
Read More →

