Growing TMC Membership Is New Chairman’s Goal

This story appears in the March. 18 print edition of Transport Topics.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — There is a drawing of the cartoon character Yosemite Sam hanging in Kirk Altrichter’s office that says a lot about the man who is the new public face of American Trucking Association’s Technology & Maintenance Council.

“Lead, follow, or get out of the way,” reads the caption below the picture of the gun-slinging animated cowboy with the irascible personality.

In some ways, Altrichter, named TMC chairman last week, is a little bit like the hot-tempered comic strip outlaw — but without the hot temper.

“I like to be in the lead,” Altrichter said in an interview last week at TMC’s annual conference here. “I’m competitive.”

As TMC’s new leader, Altrichter, 48, said his primary focus will include working on the group’s long-term strategic plan. He said he is considering hiring an outside marketing firm to help convince more ATA fleet members to join TMC. Only 10% of ATA fleets are currently TMC members, he said.

“I don’t expect that I’m going to finish anything while I’m in this role for the next year,” he said. “What I hope to do is get things off the ground and headed in the right direction.”

Altrichter’s day job is as vice president of maintenance for Gordon Trucking Inc., based in Pacific, Wash. He’s been at Gordon, a carrier with 1,950 trucks and 6,400 trailers, for about 14 years.

He said he wants TMC’s strategic plan to change TMC maintenance materials from industry recommended practices to recommended standards, and “get more industry adoption.”

But one of his most passionate pursuits as chairman will be exploring funding streams for trade schools.

There is a shortage of qualified maintenance technicians, a fact that causes more and more truckers to send their repairs to the dealerships, he said.

While many college graduates are having trouble finding jobs, trade school students are often securing work even before they graduate. “Not everyone is destined for college or the military,” Altrichter said.

He is a former Marine chief warrant officer who served more than 20 years and participated in four combat operations.

Altrichter also has worked as a logistics management adjunct professor, did a stint as an account service manager for Schneider National and has a Master of Business Administration degree from Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania.

Although it’s been more than a decade since Altrichter has seen military service, outgoing TMC Chairman Lee Long is one of those close friends who still sees remnants of Altrichter the Marine officer.

Altrichter is very organized, intense, driven, disciplined and even a bit regimented, Long adds.

“He’s fact-driven,” Long said. “He’s data-driven. That’s what we need. In his position you need to know all the facts and not move on assumption.”

“He’s going to be a very progressive chairman,” said Carl Kirk, TMC’s executive director. “Most people see him as the new-age fleet manager that has shop awareness. But he also is able to see out in the future and understands the financial considerations of every important decision.”

Although Altrichter regards himself as a delegator, he admits to having difficulty sometimes finding the patience when things don’t get done fast enough.

“It’s still an area that I struggle with, having the patience to let things run their course,” he said.

The new TMC chairman decided early on when he was a Marine that he didn’t want to be “that guy who breathes down your neck. I don’t want to be a micro-manager.

“I like to be hands-on, but over the years I’ve learned that I have to let people do their jobs,” Altrichter said. “I provide feedback. I want updates on how things are going. One thing the Marine Corps is known for is, ‘I don’t care how you get there, I just want you to get there, within reason.’ ”

In addition to the daily challenge of keeping the trucks rolling, Altrichter said he and his management team have improved the company’s equipment spec’ing process, taken weight out of the trailers and added fuel-efficiency technologies.

Altrichter, married with four children, said he struggles to balance work and home life.

His wife, Jennifer, said Altrichter is “driven.”

“He likes a challenge,” she said. “He brings work home, but in a way that’s teaching our children how to handle money and be responsible adults — and how to have a career, set goals for your life and go for them.”