The Technology & Maintenance Council will hold its 2008 Annual Meeting and Transportation Technology Exhibition, Feb. 4-7 at the Orange County Convention Center and Rosen Centre Hotel, Orlando, Fla.
The meeting, "TMC and Trucking: Technology on the Move," will provide the opportunity for fleet managers and other industry professionals to gather the latest updates on fuel economy improvements, onboard diagnostics for the next generations of engines, new braking systems and hybrid technology for walk-in type vehicles.
A full technical session, 2007 Engine Report Card, will include the different perspectives from fleets and from truck and engine makers on the transition to new engine technology. Panelists will discuss where the new technology succeeded and how decision making, as well as product introduction and support might be different with the next major engine change in 2010.
Mini-technical sessions focusing on equipment and maintenance will include: Selection and Installation of Power Inverters; Busting Commonly Held Wheel Torque Myths; Cab and In-Cab Fuel Economy Improvement: Techniques and Technologies; Countering Counterfeit Parts; Stopping Systems Update for 2008; What You Need to Know About Onboard Diagnostics for 2010 Engines; Hybrid Opportunities for the Walk-In Van type vehicles; Recommendations for a Standard Body/Chassis Interface for Vocational Vehicles.
TMC's Transportation Technology Exhibition, trucking's premier equipment exhibit, will feature more than 300 exhibitors and be held in the South Hall of the 2 million-square-foot Orange County Convention Center. TMC is taking advantage of the new, larger exhibit space to provide a special emphasis on trailer design and technology.
The exhibit Grand Opening will be held on Monday, Feb. 4, from 5 - 7:30 p.m. Additional viewing periods will be Tuesday, 5:30 - 8 p.m., and Wednesday, 7:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. No other TMC activities will be held during exhibit times. The exhibit will include practical, hands-on demonstrations with exhibitor products, giving fleet members an opportunity to inspect equipment and accessories while talking directly to product representatives.
The meeting will depart from its traditional schedule of having Task Force meetings on the opening day. Instead, technical sessions will begin the opening day with Task Force meetings held on Tuesday. Monday's schedule also includes a Kickoff Luncheon with NASCAR racing great Rusty Wallace as speaker, Fleet Talk, and Shop Talk followed by the exhibit Grand Opening. Technical sessions will pick up again on Wednesday and run through Thursday afternoon. Thursday's TMC Industry Awards Luncheon speaker will be Joseph H. Petrowski, president and CEO of Gulf Oil.
A schedule of meeting activities, registration, online hotel reservation and hotel reservation forms, exhibit prospectus and related forms are available at http://tmc.truckline.com.
For registration, or additional meeting or exhibit information, contact TMC at (703) 838-1763. Full meeting registration on or before Jan. 5 is $425 for TMC members, $525 for nonmembers. Registration after Jan. 5 is $525 for members and $625 for nonmembers. A spouse's package is available for $200.
