TMC Historical Timeline

1956
May 15 RCCC (regular Common Carrier Conference of ATA creates a committee dedicated to the improvement of equipment and its maintenance.

1957
Jan. 1957 Bert Ogden from Consolidated Freightways named first general chairman. Bob Gardner named RCCC maintenance committee staff engineer. Mary Sandor hired in 1964 as staff assistant.

1966
Private Truck Council of America (now the National Private Truck Council) joins in maintenance committee activities.

1966
Maintenance committee 10th anniversary tied in with major in-service fleet equipment "show and tell" held in Charlotte N.C. Coliseum. Event draws more than 70 tractors – some with a half-million miles – along with hand-outs of maintenance problems.

1968
Silver Spark Plug Award for distinguished service established.

1969
Don Wilson succeeds Bob Gardner as maintenance committee staff engineer.

1970
VMRS (Vehicle Maintenance Reporting Standards) developed by Pete Paquette, at the time a contractor to the RCCC.

1975
First Recommended Practices manual published; associates (supplier members) establish Recognized Associates Award.

1978
Maintenance committee, in conjunction with SAE, develops Type I Fuel Economy test procedure, the first of four.

1979
RCCC maintenance committee transformed into a full technical Council of the American Trucking Assns., named "The Maintenance Council" (TMC). ATA veteran staffers Paul Domer and Gerri Murphy named executive director and membership director. Bill Gibson from ATA's Engineering Department becomes TMC's first technical director.

1983
TMC launches Tomorrow's Truck Program.

1984
TMC holds first Transportation Equipment Exposition at Orlando meeting; remains in Orlando until 1997. Bill Gibson retires as technical director and is succeeded by Bill Tracy.

1986-87
TMC starts "Maintenance" newsletter and maintenance training videos. Carl Kirk joins TMC as information manager and Bill Tracy is named executive director succeeding Paul Domer.

1989
TMC holds first biannual "Failure Analysis" meeting; also holds first Tomorrow's Truck Symposium.

1990
Carl Kirk named TMC technical director; TMC and SAE develop J1587/1708 Recommended Practice allowing for adoption of uniform electronic data protocol and physical connection points.

1991
TMC establishes Don Dawson Memorial Scholarship for future vehicle engineers/fleet managers. (Dawson was VP of Maintenance for Roadway Express and strong TMC advocate.)


1993
Carl Kirk named executive director succeeding Bill Tracy; S.14 Study Group for Light & Medium Duty Vehicles formed.

1995
TMC holds industrywide forum in Washington D.C. to address controversial NHTSA rule-making proposal for trailer anti-lock brake power signaling. Result: NHTSA amends proposal to allow industry to develop technical solution for ABS signal communication. Robert Braswell named TMC technical director. TMC publishes first preventive maintenance inspection manual.

1999
TMC relocates annual meeting to Opryland in Nashville, remains through 2001. TMC introduces VMRS 2000.

2000
TMC reorganizes "Tomorrow's Truck." It becomes "Future Truck." TMC holds all-day ECBS/air disc brake technical demonstration at Transportation Research Center (TRC) track in East Liberty, Ohio.

2001
TMC renamed Technology and Maintenance Council and takes over on-board and off-board technology issues from defunct Council.

2002
TMC moves annual meeting & exhibits to Ft. Lauderdale; Partners with Mexican trucking group to hold TMC-style meeting for Mexican motor carriers; forms similar group in 2003 for Canadian truckers.

2003
TMC launches Professional Technician Development Committee (PTDC); signs research and development agreement with U.S. Army National Automotive Center and Aberdeen Test center.

2005
TMC holds SuperTech2005 first National Technicians' Skills Competition at Valley Forge fall meeting; launches "Tech Talk with TMC" as a regular radio segment on XM Satellite Radio.

TMC Celebrates 50 Years continued...