I’m a big fan of American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC).
I attend TMC’s two meetings each year, and in addition to the fantastic content — there’s no other event in trucking that talks maintenance as thoroughly as TMC — one of my favorite parts of each meeting is seeing fleet representatives debate issues with the suppliers (OEMs, service providers) who serve them.
TMC also gives me a chance, even if only for a week, to see how fleets deal with aftermarket problems. It lets me see how they respond, and what they think when their aftermarket supplier fails them. It lets me see how the other half lives.
And I’ll tell you, some of their thoughts would surprise you.
Your fleet customers hold you to a high standard, yes, but they’re also incredibly aware of how difficult your job is. They know as well as anyone how quickly this industry is changing, and how maddening it is to try and keep up.
They also know your service bays are understaffed, your techs are aging, and that the complexity of your job responsibilities are growing by the minute.
That’s why they want to help.
