TMC Fall Meeting focuses on AI, safety and technician skills

The meeting offered a range of technical sessions. (Karen Foote/American Trucking Associations)

PITTSBURGH — With the dust settled after last week’s 2026 Technology & Maintenance Council SuperTech competition, the TMC Fall Meeting turned its attention to technical sessions that connected fleet maintenance with artificial intelligence.

Reflecting on the competition, Jameson Haney, a senior mobile trailer repair technician with Cox Fleet, said the most noticeable change was the layout and pace of the event.

“Definitely have more room with the layout this year than what we have in the past,” he said. “A little different doing it in a one-day competition versus two days. A little brain-rattling, with 19 stations [the first day], then day two comes, just for a test. It’s a lot.”

The written test, which many competitors expected to unfold over a more relaxed time frame, instead became a sprint.

“We thought the written test was an hour with 50 questions, and they turn around and go 75 in 46 minutes,” said Haney, who placed 19th overall. “So, it threw us a few little loops this morning, but it keeps you on your toes.”

Haney’s teammate Dillon Grimes, lead mobile diesel technician, posted the best finish among the Cox Fleet delegation, placing 15th. Grimes felt most comfortable at the brakes station, which he said tested both theory and applied skill.

“I liked that we had to know the plumbing on the valves. We had to know the operation, the principle,” he explained. “You had to verify your air pressure coming in, adjust the regulator, and then you had to know how to set up the brake chamber angle.”

Even with solid preparation, Grimes noted, the clock remained a constant enemy.

“It mainly just comes down to running out of time, honestly,” he said of the competition. “I prepared as much as I could and came and did it.”

Beyond the competition, the meeting offered a range of technical sessions, including one that traced the evolution of cordless tools from pneumatic equipment to today’s battery-powered systems.

Milwaukee Tool presenters Parker Clary, key account manager, and AJ Fusco, key account manager for transportation maintenance, described how cordless tools advanced from early nickel-cadmium models with limited runtime and power to modern lithium-ion platforms.

They said the introduction of 18-volt systems helped establish a shared battery ecosystem, while newer cordless impact tools can now match or exceed the performance of many pneumatic tools.

Safety was the central theme as Clary and Fusco urged technicians to use tools and accessories only for their intended applications, select the right equipment for each task and treat personal protective equipment as a crucial last line of defense. They also highlighted built-in features such as kickback control, torque settings, integrated lighting and dual triggers on some larger tools.

Attendees were advised to fully charge new batteries before first use, avoid charging them in extreme temperatures and use chargers designed for their battery platform. The presenters also cautioned against disassembling battery packs or attempting do-it-yourself repairs because of potential safety and warranty concerns.

Beyond performance, Clary and Fusco pointed to practical advantages of cordless systems, including greater mobility without air hoses or compressors, fewer trip hazards, quieter operation and easier access to work areas. They also noted that Bluetooth-enabled inventory systems can help teams locate or lock out tools, while cordless lighting can improve visibility without the heat associated with halogen lamps.

To illustrate potential cost benefits, the presenters cited a Polish case study that they said found 77% savings in maintenance and energy costs after a switch from pneumatic to cordless tools. They acknowledged that cordless equipment may carry a higher upfront price, but said longer warranties and lower compressor-related costs can affect the overall calculation.

Safety remained a leading theme at the Fall Meeting, including during a study group session on how maintenance practices, vehicle design, driver behavior and safety technology intersect in last-mile delivery.

Compared with linehaul operations, last-mile vehicles face frequent stops, tight delivery windows, busy streets and repeated cab entry and exit. Those conditions accelerate wear and can contribute to fatigue and repetitive-motion injuries, making maintenance a core component of safety.

Panelists stressed that odometer readings alone do not capture a vehicle’s full condition. Stop counts, brake events, engine hours, route demands and driver feedback also matter.

Driver inspections were another central topic. Recommendations included digital driver vehicle inspection reports (DVIRs) with photos, hands-on onboarding, “touch a truck” demonstrations and stronger relationships between drivers and maintenance staff.

Demetric Powell, director of maintenance and engineering for UPS’ transportation fleet, underscored the purpose of inspections but warned against relying on technology alone to address safety issues.

“This whole DVIR process … it’s about providing safe equipment, safe vehicles,” he said. “[But] technology will not fix bad behavior.”

UPS ranks No. 1 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest for-hire carriers in North America.

The Fall Meeting also examined AI’s role in fleet maintenance through The AI Summit.

Ganes Kesari, founder and CEO of Tensor Planet and a panelist in a discussion about using AI to improve VMRS data, said the technology’s biggest opportunities lie in “capture, audit and prediction.”

“Capture is about reducing the effort required to enter maintenance data. A technician may write a note describing the repair, but entering the right nine-digit VMRS code and other related fields can be tedious,” he explained.

Kesari said “audit” involves checking whether the recorded information makes sense.

“AI can compare the repair notes with the reported costs and other fields,” he said. “If a job has a substantial cost but is coded as an inspection only, for example, the system can flag the discrepancy for review.”

Kesari said the third opportunity is to use accumulated data to identify patterns and support predictions.

“Better data capture and validation can make that analysis more useful,” he said.

Kesari also said AI could help the industry attract and retain technicians.

“The industry can position maintenance as technology-driven work rather than something ‘old school,’ ” Kesari said. “If AI is part of training and technician certification, that may help younger people see the field as a place where they can build skills and grow.”