Press Release

TMC Honors Five with 2019 Silver Spark Plug

Mar 18, 2019

Atlanta – Today, American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council honored three professionals with its highest honor — the Silver Spark Plug —at the opening of TMC’s 2019 Annual Meeting & Transportation Technology Exhibition.

“The Silver Spark Plug is our industry’s highest honor, recognizing professional excellence in commercial vehicle maintenance,” said TMC Executive Director Robert Braswell. “This year’s winners represent the pinnacle of our industry and we are pleased to bestow this honor on them.”

This year’s honorees are: Winston Minchew, training manager, Old Dominion Freight Line, Thomasville, N.C.; Dave Dettman, president, QTC Transportation Holdings LLC, Freeport, Ill.; Homer Hogg, manager, technical development, Travel Centers of America, Lakeland, Fla.; Joe Long, director, heavy duty business development, Old World Industries LLC, New Fairfield, Conn.; and Larry Rambeaux, national fleet and truck representative, Purkeys, Lowell, Ark.

“I congratulate these tremendous individuals for their efforts to keep our trucks, and America, moving,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “More than half of the 7.3 million people employed by the trucking industry do something other than drive a truck, and without them, our nation’s goods don’t get to our stores, hospitals and factories. These individuals are examples to all of us in this industry and they’re to be commended.”

“Only individuals who represent the best of our council in their commitment to improved engineering and maintenance standards through the development of TMC recommended practices are honored with the Silver Spark Plug,” said TMC General Chairman Jeff Harris, vice president of maintenance at USA Truck Inc.“I congratulate all these winners for their achievement and commitment.”

TMC is America's premier technical society for truck equipment technology and maintenance professionals. TMC features a diverse membership of equipment managers, service-dealers, owner-operators, industry suppliers and manufacturers, educators, academia and others that support the trucking industry. TMC member fleets represent the broad range of industry vocations, including truckload, less-than-truckload, municipal, private, on/off-highway, construction and other operations. Find out more about TMC online at http://tmc.trucking.org.

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