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New TMC Chair Randy Obermeyer Sees Bright Future as Electrification Advances
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The new chairman of the Technology & Maintenance Council of American Trucking Associations said fleets must take a wide-ranging view of the challenges that lie ahead as the trucking industry moves toward electrification, and is placing education about the opportunities that exist both for motor carriers and technicians on his agenda.
“Between utility infrastructure for charging, shops and the terminal layout, to technician training and certification – all these things must be carefully considered, and they take time to develop,” Randy Obermeyer, vice president of safety and maintenance at Online Transport in Greenfield, Ind., told Transport Topics. “One thing I have learned over the past couple years with the technology is that if you are looking to move in that direction, you must start preparing today,”
He added, “Electrification is here to stay. It will play a major role in the future of our industry.”
Obermeyer took over as chairman during the TMC 2022 Annual Meeting & Transportation Technology Exhibition, held March 7–10 at the Orange County Convention Center.
One issue he wants to address as chairman is adoption of industry standards for electric vehicles. That’s a topic that was on this year’s meeting agenda, said TMC executive director Robert Braswell. “The theme of our meeting this year is electrifying performance and maintenance management,” he said. “This year we have 13 task forces related to electric vehicles and developing industry standards.”
Braswell
Obermeyer has spent more than 30 years in the trucking industry, working with three companies. Today, he oversees maintenance for a 200-truck fleet that has operations in over-the-road, dedicated truckload, expedited freight, brokerage, warehousing and distribution services.
He believes technician careers in today’s trucking industry can be attractive for young people considering paths for the future, but noted that the industry needs support in bringing in those recruits.
“This needs to start with the moms and dads, and the high schools and the trade schools,” he said. “A lot of people look at being a technician as being a dirty, greasy job and turning wrenches, but that’s not the case so much now. A lot of jobs now that are available are about electrification and control modules, computers and circuit boards, and we need people who know how to diagnose these systems. The new techs feel more comfortable with the computers and they work well with tablets in their hands. This is a technical career now.”
He also wants to engage with people attending TMC events to bring more expertise into the council.
“The first thing is to begin talking to people at [the show],” Obermeyer said. “I’m just going to start nudging people when I see them. I want to ask them what brought them to TMC, what they’re interested in, and see if I can’t talk them into taking a first step toward an active membership — to get involved in a study group or a task force.” He added, “To be successful and grow, TMC needs to be inclusive and we need to develop more talent from the ground up.”
Learn about real-world adoption strategies for self-driving trucks with Robert Brown of Spartan Radar and Charlie Jatt of Waymo. Hear a snippet above, and get the full program by going to RoadSigns.TTNews.com.
He pointed to his own experience, from his first time attending a TMC show in 2005 to rising to the chairmanship, as an example of what can happen when people get more involved.
Obermeyer noted that while the industry sorts out its future — which could include not only electric, but also hydrogen-powered vehicles — he believes diesel fuel will continue to play an important role in trucking for years to come. Improving its performance, and continuing to make it more environmentally friendly, must remain a priority of TMC.
“I don’t believe in my career that we’ll see a [complete] change from diesel engines to anything else,” Obermeyer said, “but I think there are applications for electric, especially for local deliveries, where they’re home every day and charged. Even regional trucking and some overnight trucks, but probably with fuel cell technology vehicles.”
Obermeyer said another challenge will be navigating the industry as it emerges from the pandemic and credits TMC leadership for working hard to keep the council — and its members — on the right path.
Obermeyer praised the TMC team for keeping membership engaged during the past few years, holding hundreds of meetings via video conference. With the worst of the pandemic hopefully in the rearview mirror, Obermeyer said it is TMC’s time to lead the industry once again.
“In my earlier days at TMC, I always looked at TMC as a place to learn,” he said. “If I could take one thing back with me, to my business, then it paid for itself.”
He added, “When I think about TMC, I think about how we are problem solvers. Today more than ever, we need people to solve problems and I want to help create an entire industry that does that, just as we have at TMC.”
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