Technology & Maintenance Council Meeting Kicks off in Atlanta
As TMC's annual meeting kicks off this week, news on new products, maintenance procedures and emerging technology in the trucking industry will flow out of Atlanta, including sessions on hot topics such as last-mile delivery and autonomous trucks.
The TMC exhibit hall show floor takes shape Sunday.Photo: Jim Park
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Past TMC Chairman Kevin Tomlinson prepares for a session at the 2015 TMC meeting. HDT File Photo
One of the most important North American truck show/conferences kicked off this weekend in Atlanta, Georgia, as the 2018 Technology & Maintenance Council’s annual meeting and exhibition got under way with a slew of press conferences and product announcements. The meeting will run through Thursday, March 8, and include a host of fleet maintenance sessions detailing best practices, as well as seminars on emerging technology, safety and legislative issues.
TMC, part of the American Trucking Associations, has been a leading voice of North American fleet equipment and maintenance professionals since its founding in 1957. And for many years, its spring and fall meetings were largely filled with technical sessions on commercial vehicle systems and maintenance practices geared toward professional engineers who manage truck fleets.
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Over the past decade, TMC has grown and expanded its offerings to include a vibrant trade show floor for industry exhibitors in the spring, the SuperTech technician contest in the fall, and seminars detailing the latest legislative and technology trends – as well as its focus on in-depth maintenance and troubleshooting sessions aimed at keeping fleets up and running.
TMC’s Recommended Practices handbook remains the industry’s maintenance bible, spilling over with detailed diagnostic, troubleshooting and repair information for virtually every commercial vehicle maintenance issue imaginable.
The coming days will see big product announcements and news from major industry players such as Mack, Volvo, Navistar, Meritor, Eaton, Allison, Dana, SAF Holland and the North American Council for Freight Efficiency, as well as emerging technology companies like TMW and Decisiv.
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The TMC exhibit hall show floor takes shape Sunday. Photo: Jim Park
This news will be coupled with TMC’s traditional focus on maintenance issues as well as Technical Sessions highlighting current and future industry issues, including:
How Last Mile Delivery Solutions Are Transforming Fleet Maintenance Management
The Coming Impact of Automated Vehicle Technology
Evolving Career Pathways for Today’s Fleet Maintenance Executives
Featured speakers at TMC this week will include Carlton Rose, president, global fleet maintenance and engineering, United Parcel Service, and Tom Nichols, author, “The Death of Expertise.”
A committee of trucking magazine editors will present the Jim Winsor Memorial Technical Achiement award to one of these finalists:
The Truck-lite Road Ready trailer monitoring and communication system
Volvo’s LED headlamps, which feature a reverse-flow fan that helps defrost the lens in winter conditions
XStream Truck Wings auto-deploy trailer gap system
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HDT will have editorial staff in Atlanta covering the show from start to finish. So stay tuned for the latest news on products, technology and maintenance in trucking with full reporting on Truckinginfo.com
Along with unveiling its EPA 2027-compliant MP13 engine, Mack outlined powertrain changes across its Class 6-8 lineup, including new Cummins-based X10 engines.
Kodiak AI and Roehl Transport have begun autonomous freight operations on a regular Dallas-Houston route, marking another step toward Kodiak’s planned driverless launch by the end of 2026.
Volvo says advances in combustion and aftertreatment helped its new EPA 2027 D13 engine avoid the fuel-economy penalties many once expected from tighter NOx emissions limits.
Fleet Advantage’s latest Truck Life Cycle Data Index shows fleets operating older Class 8 trucks could face significantly higher costs as diesel prices rise, while newer 2028 equipment may deliver savings of more than $12,000 per truck annually.
Tesla’s Semi chief at ACT Expo outlined production growth, lower-cost models, charging expansion, and why the company believes fleets are leaving money on the table by waiting on electric trucks.
Mack Trucks is introducing ImpactShield, the first Class 8 truck windshield to use Corning Fusion5 Glass, designed to improve durability, reduce damage and help fleets minimize downtime.
Volvo Autonomous Solutions and Aurora expand their freight network with a new Dallas–Oklahoma City route, moving closer to scaled driverless operations.
Westport and Volvo are demonstrating a 500-hp truck with diesel-like efficiency — one that also offers what Westport says is a better pathway to using hydrogen fuel in trucks.
