The Technology and Maintenance Council is offering industry professionals a wide selection of specialized technical information at its 2003 fall meeting,
to be held Sept. 8-11 at the Hilton Netherland Plaza Hotel in Cincinnati, Ohio.
In addition to technical sessions, TMC is scheduling a workshop for TMC's Vehicle Maintenance Reporting Standard 2000 users, a special IT and Logistics Technical Forum, a training program for technicians and their trainers and a special technical session on hybrid powertrains for specialty vehicles.
The technician training program, to be held Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept. 9-10, will include an overview on resources for training technicians -- and technician trainers -- through professional organizations, OEMs and component suppliers. Hands-on training sessions include Basic Electronics, Brake Basics, Troubleshooting Today's Electronics, ABS Basics and Troubleshooting Electronic Transmissions.
The TMC/STS Technician Program is available at no additional charge to fully registered TMC meeting attendees; one-day registration is $50 for TMC/STS members, $75 for others. A two-day registration is $95 for TMC/STS members, $140 for others.
TMC's IT/logistics track will include technical sessions optimization software for truckload and LTL carriers, EDI for supply chain management, on-board communications for truckload and LTL carriers, EDI standards for warranty processing, evaluation and benchmarking of off-the-shelf software for motor carriers and the latest advances in bar code technologies for carriers. The IT and logistics program will also include the joint technical session, "How Carriers Can Leverage Radio Frequency Identification Technology."
The three panels in the IT and Logistics Technical Forum to be held Thursday, Sept. 11, will present information for motor carriers, including e-commerce, security and a look at three case studies of successful technology acquisitions and implementation. The goal of the forum is to raise the awareness of issues that are important to IT and logistics professionals.
The e-commerce panel will look at controversy of an array of EDI standards and examine how XML could become a successful worldwide standard for conducting electronic business transaction. The security panel, "Security Technology Juggernaut - Promise or Peril for Motor Carriers," will discuss the varied security available and under development for motor carriers, including biometrics, geofencing and vehicle disablement. The forum is free to fully registered TMC meeting attendees. Fees to attend the forum only are $99 for TMC/ATA members, $149 for non-members.
In addition to the RFID session, TMC's equipment track will include numerous failure analysis topics that have immediate practical application and cost savings for fleets. Technical sessions include troubleshooting electronic systems, coolant electrolysis, tire alignment and failure analysis, maximizing starter, battery and alternator life, clutch failure analysis, the evolution of vehicle electronic failure analysis and how to prevent dock seal fires.
In addition, TMC's newly created Specialty Vehicles Study Group will present a special technical session on Advantages in Hybrid Propulsion for Vocational/Specialty Applications.
The equipment track will also include TMC's popular Failure Analysis Roadshow. TMC members submit failed parts for a critical inspection by TMC member experts and failure usually diagnosed on the spot. Fleet members report that information obtained from this failure analysis presentation and Shop Talk often result significant cost savings and reduced down time for their fleets. In addition, the new program for fleet-only members introduced at the 2003 meeting - Fleet Talk - will return for candid and often lively discussion among fleet managers on a range of topics covering fleet operations and vehicle technology.
The VMRS 2000 workshop, Thursday and Friday, Sept. 11-12, will offer users and programmers a chance to participate in a forum to better understand how to implement and take advantage of the newly released version 1.03. A panel of VMRS experts will review VMRS structure, Code Keys and Instructions, and present insights on how Code Key 1-84 work together to produce powerful cost reporting. Case studies will be provided to detail how fleets are controlling costs and saving money with VMRS. The registration fee for the workshop is $125 for TMC/ATA members, $225 for non-members.
David Congdon, president and chief operating officer for Old Dominion Freight Lines, will share his insight on how his company successfully adapted to today's business environment at the Industry luncheon, Tuesday, Sept. 9. During his 25-year tenure with Old Dominion, Congdon had previously served in the vice president position for maintenance, safety, linehaul, quality and field services and transportation.
Fees for full meeting registration on or before Aug. 22 are $295 for TMC/ATA members, $395 for non-members. After Aug. 22 it is $395 for members and $495 for non-members. A spouse program is available for $195. Registration can be made by mail, fax or at TMC's web site. For information, call (703) 838-1763.
The Technology and Maintenance Council is a technical council of ATA. TMC member fleets represent 1.3 million trailers, more than 750,000 straight trucks and more than 600,000 Class 8 tractors purchased in North America – about a third of the commercial vehicles in operation.