Hands-on training for contestants and meeting attendees
An integral part of each annual Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) Fall Meeting is the Professional Technician Development Committee (PTDC) Training Fair. It is a series of hands-on training sessions that have been purposely developed for technicians, shop supervisors and fleet managers by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF).
The PTDC is a group within TMC that promotes and enhances the professionalism of commercial vehicle technicians. TMC is North America’s premier technical society for truck equipment technology and maintenance professionals.
The Training Fair sessions qualify for continuing education credit units accepted by NATEF. NATEF is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of vehicle technician training programs nationwide at secondary and post-secondary, public and proprietary schools.
Training Focus
The PTDC Training Fair – open to all TMC Fall Meeting attendees and TMCSuperTech competitors – consists of six sessions, each of which is repeated during the one-day training, on Tuesday, September 18. This is done to maximize the number of training opportunities.
Session 1 – Fuel System Inspection Requirements for CNG Fleets
During this session, compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel system inspection requirements as specified in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 304 will be covered. The session will also cover the U.S. codes and standards governing CNG fuel systems and inspections, all responsibilities and necessary qualifications for inspectors, recommended types of inspections and their intervals and what components must be inspected. Basic procedures of inspections and the most common findings during inspections will also be addressed.
Session 2 – Operation and Diagnostics of Active Safety and Driver Assist Systems
This session will cover the operation and troubleshooting methods used in the maintenance of active safety and driver assist systems. Manufacturer representatives will cover the basics and introduce attendees to the software and hardware tools specific to the various systems currently in the marketplace.
Session 3 – Augmented/Virtual Reality Technology and Its Coming Role on the Shop Floor
Experts will demonstrate the coming role of augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR) technology and how it is going to be implemented on the shop floor for technicians. Devices will be demonstrated and attendees will be able to try their hands at this innovative new learning and diagnostic technology.
Session 4 – Door Counterbalance Installation and Winding
Experts will provide training on various aspects of roll-up door counterbalance installation and winding. This session will cover drum location, spring winding procedures, formulas upon which these procedures are based and the required torque setting necessary for proper operation.
Session 5 – Everything You Wanted to Know About Mastering ASE Tests But Were Afraid To Ask
Led by Bob Cornwell, ASE director of medium and heavy vehicle test development, this session will discuss the ins and outs of taking the ASE certification tests. It will cover what goes into developing those tests and how they are structured. This session will give insight on how to prepare for the big test day.
Session 6 – How Well Are You Leveraging Available Maintenance Resources?
Two-time TMCSuperTech Grand Champion Bryan Lewis will provide attendees an informative overview of important maintenance resources that can save time and money on the shop floor. This session will explore what types of resources are available and compare that to what is currently in use, and how to best utilize the information currently available, as well as how to access additional resources to improve productivity.