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ORLANDO, Florida—The Technology and Maintenance Council’s 2023 Annual Meeting focused on advancing reliability through root-cause analysis—something outgoing TMC general chairman Randy Obermeyer, vice president of safety and maintenance at Online Transport, said he’s obsessed with using as a problem-solving tool.
“It’s really part of our everyday lives, so much so that we use many of the processes without even thinking about it,” he said in his address at TMC’s Town Meeting on Feb. 27 at the Orange County Convention Center. “Nearly every time you ask the question why, you are using an activity in search of the root cause.
“The more times you ask the question, the closer you get to the answer.”
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Obermeyer uses root-cause analysis to gain an operational edge for his Greenfield, Indiana-based transportation company. By better understanding an issue, he can develop countermeasures on the safety side of the business, and reduce breakdowns and help eliminate waste on the vehicle maintenance side, he said. And that’s why he was excited about TMC’s four technical sessions and eight study groups, designed to help fleets deep dive into a range of maintenance topics, from future powertrains and electric-vehicle battery safety, to recruiting and retaining technicians, and direct-to-trailer communications.
And he wasn’t the only passionate transportation professional in the Sunshine State.
Incoming TMC general chairman Todd Cotier, director of maintenance at Bison Transport, reported 4,433 people in attendance on Day 1. More than 700 fleets were represented, and the meeting included 1,783 associates, 20 educators, 119 service providers, 44 staff members, and 1,733 exhibitor-only attendees. And TMC members spent more than 12,000 hours in 110 taskforce meetings on the first day of the four-day meeting.
“There is no other organization in this country where competitors work as hard together as we do, and I am dang proud to be a part of that,” Obermeyer said.
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TMC 2023 also featured addresses by American Trucking Associations’ Chris Spear, president and CEO, and Dan Horvath, VP of safety policy; numerous award presentations and recognitions, including the Silver Spark Plug awards and Recognized Associate awards; Fleet Talk and Shop Talk, where fleets and service providers raise questions and concerns; and a Ride & Drive where attendees could pilot a Nikola Tre battery-electric truck.
And, course, nearly 400 exhibitors filled 500,000 sq. ft. of exhibition space in the center’s south concourse with the latest transportation equipment and technology, a portion of which is highlighted in this media-gallery review, along with other highlights from Orlando.
TMC’s 2023 Fall Meeting and National Technician Skills Competition (TMCSuperTech) is set for Sept. 17-21 at the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland, Ohio.
