"Successful Technology Pathways" is the theme of the Technology & Maintenance Council’s (TMC) annual meeting and transportation technology exhibition March 15-19 at the Greater Ft. Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center in Florida.

The meeting will again feature complete programs for both maintenance and information technology/logistics professionals. A bonus for the extended meeting is the Diesel Engine Emissions Summit 2004, scheduled for Tuesday, March 16. This special session, sponsored by TMC, American Trucking Assns. and Transport Topics, is a continuation of the successful summit held during TMC's 2003 Summer Meeting.
Full technical sessions for the maintenance program will include a special presentation on corrosion, led by John Sullivan, director of operations for XTRA Lease and chairman of TMC Future Truck Committee; and expert advice for fleets on shop budgeting/cost management.
Mini-technical sessions focusing on equipment and maintenance will include:
-- "Capacitors -What's the Spark All About?"
-- "Tires 101 - How to Leverage Industry Know-How to Strengthen Your Tire Program"
-- "A Comprehensive Look at Fuels: From Delivery to Exhaust"
-- "Fleets, It's Time to Clean Up Our Act (And Your Equipment)"
-- "Vehicle Stability Systems: Do They Work and Are They Ready?"
-- "Dock Lock Compatibility; Troubleshooting Multiplex Electrical Systems, Part 1"
-- "Troubleshooting Multiplex Electrical Systems on Specialty Vehicles, Part 2"
-- "Managing the Ever-Growing Complexity of LMV Transmission Fluids."
The 2003 annual meeting will provide a full slate of IT and logistics sessions. Technical sessions include:
-- "The Electronic Supply Chain Manifest Initiative - Enhancing Global Intermodal Supply Chain Efficiency and Security"
-- "User Requirements for Load and Route Optimization -- A Fleet Perspective"
-- "The Future of Supply Chain Integration; Portals and Web Services -- The Value Proposition for Truckload and LTL"
-- "Customer IT Requirements -- What Your Shippers Expect From You"
-- "Legal Requirements, Records Retention and the Information Technology Challenge."
Mini-technical sessions for the IT and logistics program are to include:
-- "Electronic Credentialing
--Implementing RFID without Breaking the Bank
-- Cutting Shipper and Carrier Costs with Contract Standard
-- Truckstop Interconnectivity. This meeting will also introduce FleetTalk, a fleets-only discussion forum for IT and logistics members.
The meeting program also includes a session demonstrating FleetPortal.com, TMC's emerging Web portal that will link industry suppliers with fleet professionals.
TMC's Transportation Technology Exhibition will feature more than 250 exhibitors and more than 150,000-square-feet of exhibit space. 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.
For registration, or additional meeting or exhibit information, contact TMC at (703) 838-1763; or e-mail: tmc@trucking.org.
Online registration is available at: http://tmc.truckline.com.
Full meeting registration -- including the Summit -- is $350 for TMC/ATA members, $450 for nonmembers. Registration Feb. 27 and after is $450 for members and $550 for nonmembers. A one-day registration for the Summit is $100 for members, $150 for nonmembers. A spouse's package is available for $200.
TMC is North America's premier technical society for truck equipment, information technology and logistics professionals.
TMC member fleets represent 1.3 million trailers, more than 750,000 straight trucks, and more than 600,000 Class 8 tractors purchased in the United States -- one third of the commercial vehicles operating on U.S. highways.