Four Takeaways on Four Days at TMCAnnual26

This year, ATA's Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) is celebrating 70 years of excellence. Over four days in Nashville, thousands of the industry's top technical minds celebrated this milestone in grand style.

No other event matches TMC's Annual Meeting & Transportation Technology Exhibition when it comes to a comprehensive, user-driven focus on fleet technology and maintenance management. In Music City, Council attendees had the opportunity to:

• Lead the development of the industry's most trusted technical recommended practices
• Collaborate with peers in 100+ Task Forces, and dozens of Technical and Study Group sessions.
• Explore proven solutions and emerging technologies in our expansive Exhibit Hall
• Grow a network and be part of the industry's most collaborative forum for advancing fleet solutions
• Here are four of the top highlights of TMCAnnual26:

1. We Glimpsed the Future

For seven decades, TMC has raised professional and technical standards for the trucking industry. TMC's Transportation Technology Exhibition is an important part of that effort. It enables attendees to not only see what is available in the field today, but to have the opportunity to discuss and learn about the latest advances in truck technology.

This year's TMC Transportation Technology Exhibition was sold out, featuring approximately 375 vendors spanning 350,000 square feet. The show floor showcased leading-edge technologies for fleet maintenance management.

Attendees also had the opportunity to participate in ride alongs and static displays with Aperia Technologies, ConMet, Cummins, Stoneridge, and Tesla.

2. We Learned and Networked

The theme of TMC's 2026 Annual Meeting was "Innovative Strategies for Technical Leadership." TMC's customary slate of educational sessions, task force meetings, technical sessions, and management sessions sparked in-depth discussions and provided strategies for fleets to strengthen their operations.

The sessions placed a special emphasis on two special tracks-Back to Basics and Advanced Technology. These gave industry leaders the ability to chart a course on critical issues like maximizing uptime, lowering maintenance costs, reducing emissions, deploying automation, and improving safety.

Beyond the sessions, Nashville provided invaluable networking opportunities-including a high-energy "Annual Reception and Social Event"-that built lasting partnerships and will help drive success in the months ahead.

3.We Honored Industry Leaders

TMC has leaders across its organization, but the industry experts honored at TMC's Annual Meeting set and raise the bar for excellence in the industry every day.

TMC recognized multiple industry professionals with a variety of awards for their important service to the council and the industry.

Additionally, four leaders were singled out for TMC's highest honor, the Silver Spark Plug. This prestigious award is given to individuals who demonstrate professional excellence in commercial vehicle maintenance in support of Council activities

This year's Silver Spark Plug honorees were: Scott Bartlein of Truck Fleet Management, Taki Darakos of PITT OHIO, Mark Zachos of DG Technologies, and Jack Legler of TMC/ATA.

4. We Welcomed a New Chairman

At the Annual Meeting, TMC announced the installation of Mark Kennedy, corporate VP of equipment at Knight Swift Transportation, Inc., as its 67th general chairman and treasurer.

Kennedy has been an exemplary member of TMC, including winning the Silver Spark Plug. His professionalism and commitment to trucking make him an outstanding choice.

Based in Phoenix, Arizona, Kennedy served the past year as the Council's vice chairman and chairman of meetings. He succeeds Radu Mihai, corporate fleet manager for BURNCO Rock Products.

"I'm honored to accept this position from my fellow TMC members," Kennedy said. "I look forward to working with the rest of TMC's leadership to advance our industry's goals. I also want to thank Radu for his service to our organization."

Save the Date!

With TMC's 2026 Annual Meeting now in the rearview, we are already looking forward to when we will see industry leaders at TMC's 2026 Fall Meeting & National Technician Skills Competitions in Pittsburgh. The event will also feature the Council's inaugural summit on artificial intelligence - The AI Summit. Mark your calendars for September 20- 24, 2026. You won't want to miss it!