The Technology & Maintenance Council's Future Truck Committee is updating its Far Horizons Position Paper, which explores equipment user needs for 10 years and beyond.


Accordingly, TMC, an arm of the American Trucking Associations, says it is now quizzing council and ATA fleet members. The information gathered in the survey will be useful to fleet managers and will help guide truck-equipment manufacturers in planning products over the next 10 to 15 years, the council says.

The Far Horizons survey is covering these areas:
- Engine and underhood
- Hybrids and alternative fuels
- Aftertreatment
- Transmission and clutch
- Axles and wheel ends
- Tire and wheel
- Aerodynamics
- Cab interior
- Instrumentation
- Safety and driver assistance systems
- Anti-idling equipment
- Connected vehicle
- Electrical/electronic
- Trailer
- Reliability and durability
- Service tools and technicians
- Roads and infrastructure
- Regulations
- Fleet management
- Parts availability and sourcing (especially regarding vertical integration and resulting proprietary parts)

The council says it sent an email invitation to take the online survey to TMC and ATA fleet members in November. Individuals may take the survey all at one time, or complete each of the four sections separately on a monthly schedule from November through February.

Those who complete this survey will be eligible to enter a special drawing to win a free registration to TMC's 2013 Annual Meeting & Transportation Technology Exhibition, to be held March 11-14, in Nashville, Tenn.

To take Part 1 of the survey, follow this link:

https://www.research.net/s/TMC_FT_Part1

If you wish to complete all four parts now and not wait for each monthly reminder, you may click each of the following links respectively.

https://www.research.net/s/TMC_FT_Part2
https://www.research.net/s/TMC_FT_Part3
https://www.research.net/s/TMC_FT_Part4