The Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) of the American Trucking Association awarded its highest honor — the Silver Spark Plug Award — to five trucking industry professionals during the council’s 2011 annual meeting earlier this month in Tampa.

The 2011 TMC Silver Spark Plug recipients are: Jerry Hubbell, vice president of business development for Vehicle Enhancement Systems; Dale Overton, manager of corporate integrity for Accuride; Randy Patterson, senior field engineer for Bridgestone-Bandag Tire Solutions; Kevin Rohlwing, senior vice president of training for the Tire Industry Association; and Chas Voyles, fleet service manager for Navistar International. These recipients were awarded the Silver Spark Plug for their outstanding contributions to the improvement of equipment, maintenance, industry-related technology and management practices.

• Hubbell has been a TMC member since 1988. He has been a driving force in TMC’s S.4 Cab & Controls Study Group and Future Truck Committee, and actively pursued cab and control improvements as well within the Society of Automotive Engineers. He has led numerous task forces, including Driver Visibility and Future Vision Task Forces that developed RPs on visibility guidelines and position papers on driver vision requirements.
• Overton has been a member since 1994. He has been active within the S.2 Tire and Wheel Study Group, having chaired four task forces and worked on may more to develop various TMC RPs. He has been a presenter for numerous TMC technical sessions, and readily shares his knowledge with others in the industry, and regularly appears on the Council’s satellite radio show — Tech Talk With TMC, heard weekly on the Dave Nemo Show on SiriusXM.
• Patterson is a TMC Recognized Associate and has been a member since 1990. He has been active in the S.2 Tire and Wheel Study Group as booth a fleet member and associate member — a valuable perspective that has been important in creating TMC RPs. He has chaired several task forces and has moderated technical sessions on Tire Application Guidelines and Updated Wheel & Rim Recommendations. He also has been active in the Council’s Professional Technician Development Committee (PTDC), serving as a tire-related station chairman for the TMCSuperTech competitions and helping produce training sessions for PTDC Training Fair.
• Rohlwing has been a TMC member since 1996. In addition to actively contributing to the creation of numerous TMC RPs within the S.2 Tire and Wheel Study Group, he has given substantial support to the PTDC’s TMCSuperTech competition, and has organized several technical sessions.
• Voyles has been a TMC member since 2005. Regarded as an industry peacemaker and bridge-builder, he has worked to improve communication between equipment users and the service provider community that supports them. He organized and/or served as panelist on several educational sessions on the topic of service provider and equipment user relationships, was instrumental in producing a training video on quality control, and became the first chairman of the Service Provider Committee in 2008.

The Silver Spark Plug is awarded annually to individuals who have given outstanding service to TMC.  Since the award’s 1968 inception under the Regular Common Carrier Conference Maintenance Committee, 184 individuals have been recognized with the Silver Spark Plug Award. Both fleet representatives and members of the supplier community are eligible.

The American Trucking Association named Mike Baird, national sales manager of Alcoa Wheel Products a Recognized Associate at the 2011 Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) annual meeting and transportation technology exhibition earlier this month in Tampa.

Baird joined TMC in 1999 and currently serves as secretary for TMC’s S.5 Fleet Maintenance Management Study Group. He has served as both a meeting mechanic and a sergeant at arms for 10 years and has been a TMCSuperTech judge for three years.

The Recognized Associate award is presented for outstanding contributions to the improvement of equipment, its maintenance and maintenance management.

TMC Recognized Associate recipients must have given a minimum of five years of active service in support of TMC leadership and/or activities; supported TMC by organizing, chairing and participating in several sessions, or have served as sergeants of arms or other supporting meeting functions; contributed service to the council in areas separate from their individual technical expertise or business interests; and earned the respect of their peers in the trucking industry.

Roy Gambrell, director of maintenance for Truck It, was installed as the Technology & Maintenance Council’s 2011-2012 general chairman and treasurer during TMC’s 2011 annual meeting and transportation technology exhibition earlier this month in Tampa.

Gambrell has served in several other TMC leadership positions, most recently as TMC’s board of directors as vice chairman and chairman of meetings and study groups. He has moderated and been a presenter for numerous TMC technical sessions, and received the Silver Spark Plug in 2005.

Gambrell says one of his goals for his year as general chairman is to get more small fleets involved with TMC.

“I’m a good example that you don’t have to be a mega fleet to be recognized,” he says. “All you have to do is attend and get involved. TMC can help even the smallest fleets improve their maintenance activities.”

Gambrell adds that small fleets especially need the “power” of TMC, as the large fleets already have their own OEM service and engineering people.

“I would like to show them that TMC is not an expense, but a credit to them in the savings they can see in the RPs as well as the networking with other members and by getting answers to their questions,” he says.

Five TMC directors at large for 2011-2012 were also named at February’s meetings. The new directors are: Kirk Altrichter (Gordon Trucking); Brent Hilton (Maverick Transportation); John Sullivan (Reliable Carriers); Ron Szapacs (Air Products & Chemicals); and Dave Williams (Verizon Fleet Operations). They join Lee Long (Southeastern Freight Lines); and Kevin Tomlinson (South Shore Transportation). Kevin Otto of Cummins also was elected to fill an open associate director position.

The newly merged marketing group, HDA Truck Pride, will host its first annual membership meeting from April 13- 17 in Las Vegas. The group will unveil strategic plans and tactical business development programs at the meeting, and the organization expects record attendence.

HDA Truck Pride’s National Fleet Council and Truck Service Experts (TSE) representatives will be included in the membership meeting for panel discussions on execution of business development programs.

“For us to become the distribution channel of choice, we must focus on the end users,” says HDA Truck Pride CEO Don Reimondo. “What better way to accomplish that, than to have our Fleet Council and TSE’s intimately involved in our own membership meeting, interacting with our team.”

The meeting alao will include vendor exhibits, new product introductions and training sessions. The training sessions will be as follows: Salesmanship, Merchandising, FleetCross and CSA 2010.

Diesel prices rose for the 12th straight week during the week ended Monday, Feb. 21, adding 3.9 cents to $3.573 a gallon, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration. The national average price of on-highway diesel is 74.1 cents higher than the same week last year and is at its highest level since mid-October 2008. Since the end of September, diesel prices have surged more than 62 cents, declining in only three of 21 weeks.

Prices rose in all regions, led by the 5.8-cent increase on the West Coast and the 5.7-cent increase in the Rocky Mountan region. The smallest increase was 2 cents in the New England. California replaced New England as the nation’s most expensive diesel, while the Midwest had the nation’s least expensive fuel.

Complete diesel price information is available on the EIA’s website.

Estes Express Lines has selected Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC to provide a full-stability system for its 1,200 commercial vehicles.

Based in Richmond Va., Estes Express Lines is a shipping solutions company that includes global and custom solution systems. Estes will use Bendix’s Electronic Stability Program (ESP) to implement its new corporate stability plan.

“Safety is our highest priority at Estes and the Bendix ESP system provides our vehicles with added roll and directional stability in severe weather and driving conditions,” says Mike Palmer, Estes’ vice president of fleet services.

Bendix full-stability solution is a comprehensive product that addresses roll over and directional stability. According to Bendix, full-stability systems recognize and mitigate conditions that could lead to rollover and loss-of-control situations sooner on dry surfaces and in a wider range of driving and road conditions, including snowy, ice-covered and slippery surfaces.

“Fleets continue to recognize the benefits of utilizing full-stability technology to help mitigate rollover and loss-of-control accidents, help improve driver safety, as well as protect fleet and driver safety records — especially with the advent of CSA 2010,” says Bendix Director of Marketing and Controls Fred Andersky. “We are pleased to extend our previous relationship with Estes Express Lines by providing them Bendix ESP to help improve the safety of their fleet.”

Navistar’s Partsmart parts division has expanded to add depth to common replacement parts. The product line now includes hose assemblies, water pumps, shock absorbers, brake chambers and mufflers. According to Navistar, these parts can be used on all commercial trucks. All Partsmart parts come with a one-year, parts-only replacement warranty.

“The Partsmart line now incorporates more of the most frequently ordered parts to keep today’s trucks and buses on the road,” says Kim Speciale, senior marketing manager for Navistar Parts.  “From brake chambers to chrome accessories, Partsmart parts are a smart choice for cost-conscious truck and bus owners.”

Peterbilt has announced the availability of Paccar MX engines to its model 389 product line. The engines are available with a horsepower range of 380 to 485, torque outputs up to 1,750 lb-ft and a displacement of 12.9 liters.

“High industry acceptance and customer demand has allowed Peterbilt to expand the availability of the Paccar MX engine into the Model 389,” says Bill Jackson, Peterbilt general manager and Paccar vice president. “We are pleased to pair the MX engine with the model 389.”

The MX engine meets 2010 EPA diesel engine emission regulations, and is fully integrated with modular components, the company says. The Paccar MX now is available in all Class 8 Peterbilt Models 587, 388, 386, 384, 365, 367 and now the model 389.

Spartan Chassis, Inc., a subsidiary of Spartan Motors, Inc. announced it has signed a supply agreement with the Navistar Engine Group. According to Spartan, the agreement will allow for the expansion of clean diesel engines to its Gladiator emergency response cab and chassis product line.

“This agreement couples the advanced technology of Spartan and the Navistar Engine Group for the benefit of our emergency response customers,” says John Sztykiel, president and CEO of Spartan Motors. “It also adds to our portfolio of compelling products and is another proof point supporting our ability to provide the broadest line of engines.”
Spartan is offering the EPA 2010-compliant MaxxForce13 Big Bore engine on its 2011 Gladiator models.

Grote Industries has introduced a new portable roadside lighting repair kit. The kit contains 23 commonly used lighting components found in today’s commercial vehicles.

“Nothing is easier to spot than an inoperable vehicle lamp; it’s much like an invitation to be pulled over,” says John Grote, vice president sales and marketing for Grote Industries. “While stopped, a vehicle could undergo a more thorough CSA roadside inspection, potentially leading to the discovery of multiple infractions.”

The new kit is said to be flexible and lightweight, and when loaded measures 11 inches long, eight inches tall and seven inches deep. The 23 parts included are: 12 lamps, four styles of pigtails, three unique grommets, two unique brackets, conspicuity tape, a selection of 14-gauge butt connectors and zip tie fasteners. The roadside repair kit has a fleet wholesale price of $105.