It’s a little hard to concentrate on work this week, with Christmas now exactly one week away. The biggest excitement of all is that in two days my oldest daughter will be coming home from college, and bringing her roommate with her. The fact that her roommate, who is Jewish, has never celebrated Christmas, has had an unexpectedly fantastic effect on the whole family: it has made us all really think about our Christmas traditions, why we do them, what they mean to us, and what they might mean to someone who has never experienced them before.

It’s actually created a buzz of excitement over and above the usual holiday anticipation, and I am thoroughly enjoying it! Every aspect of our holiday celebration is going to have heightened meaning this year, because we’ll be sharing the experience with a new friend. Because of that, this is going to be a Christmas we will all remember for a very long time.

My wish for all of our readers this holiday season is that your traditions will have heightened meaning as well! Best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

After the first couple of meetings of the SuperTech Steering Committee, we found ourselves a little overwhelmed. We have the date and we have the location, but now what?

As we sat down around our long oval table, the one problem we got stuck on was “how do we actually figure out the scenarios to create for the competition?” We glanced around, waiting for the answer to magically make itself known to us, but it didn’t come. As we all shook our heads, I said, “it’s time to call in the reinforcements.”

Actually, I didn’t really say that, but you get the idea. It was the perfect moment for me to pull out the stack of business cards I gathered at TMC’s SuperTech in Nashville.

Fortunately for me, I didn’t have to twist any arms. I had several great conversations with Carl Tapp and Mike McBurney. Tapp helped established the competition in Arkansas, and McBurney works for Mitchell1. Also, DC Collins from Haldex has been on board since day one and offered some great advice. The knowledge and wisdom of these three is something I hope Nebraska members will aspire to someday. I’m sure it will take quite a bit of time for us to catch up.

Another group that has been instrumental in our planning thus far has been the United States Postal Service. Bonne Karim, manager, facilities & retail branch, NCED, met with me at SuperTech and took me under her wing. Karim also arranged for three of her co-workers to meet with some of the STSC members to get advice for the competition. Karim has also gone above-and-beyond in answering my numerous questions by phone and e-mail. She has the patience of a saint!

My point in all of this is that for those of you thinking your state may want to get involved but aren’t sure where to begin, all it takes is one phone call or one e-mail to get the ball rolling. And from personal experience, I can guarantee you that once you get that ball rolling; it’s not going to stop!

I had an interesting experience this week. I drove south to Woodstock, Illinois, with a winter storm warning hanging over my head, to pay a visit to Gordon Botts, owner of Botts Welding, an independent heavy-duty truck shop. The primary reason for my visit was to interview Gordon for an upcoming story, but I was also interested in hearing his take on the future of the fleet industry. Over the phone he had come across as strangely optimistic about the current business climate, and I wanted to find out why.

Botts Welding was founded by Gordon’s father, and the company has been in business for 80 years. So to say that Gordon has seen his share of ups and downs in the industry is an understatement. This man has weathered every storm to hit the heavy-duty truck industry, and his shop has always done just fine. On the day I visited, the place was filled almost to capacity. I would have asked him how many bays he had in his garage but the answer would have been meaningless; there were trucks and equipment crammed into every inch of available floor space, all being worked on or awaiting repair.

One reason business is so good? Many of Botts’ customers are opting to rehab their older trucks, rather than buy new. That’s meant a steady supply of new business for Botts, as well as job security for the fleet managers who are sending him the trucks to rehab; after all, if they’re finding smart ways to hang onto older trucks, then the need for basic maintenance will remain constant. Seems like a pretty sweet way to weather the storm.

My mind is spinning, thanks to all the wonderful comments and suggestions I’ve received since the launch of the blog. Please don’t be shy, feel free to comment anytime.

The SuperTech Steering Committee (STSC for ease of use) had a teleconference this week. Early on in the discussion of SuperTech, one of the members pointed out that we should try to have the competition in a central location. For those of you not familiar with our fine state’s geography, Omaha and Lincoln are considered to be in the eastern part of the state. There are a lot more technicians in the western part of the state, and we want them involved.

Fortunately, Kelly Christensen at Central Community College in Hastings stepped up to the plate and hit a SuperTech homerun. Christensen is the associate dean of instruction for trades and industry at Central, and as luck would have it, the campus has a brand-new, state-of-the-art instruction facility for its diesel and truck driving programs. It was a match made in Heaven- a central Nebraska location with enough space to host the first Nebraska SuperTech competition. Christensen is also serving on the committee.

The STSC has divided itself into sub-committees, based on TMC’s fabulous “How to Host a Technician Skills Competition.” I’ve marked that manual up so many times; I had to print a second copy. We have three sub-committees: “Competition Directors,” responsible for logistical organization of the skills stations and contest preparation; “Rules & Judges Directors,” responsible for recruiting volunteers and running the judging table; and “Publicity, Promotions & Sponsorship Directors,” who will focus on promoting the event to fleets, dealers and vendors.

It’s been a busy month for Nebraska SuperTech. As we head into the New Year, I know it will only get busier. I’m looking forward to TMC’s Annual Meeting in February where I can solicit help from many of you!

At this time of year it’s customary to look over the previous twelve months and talk about the events that shaped the industry over that time. Right now I’m more interested in what the next twelve months will bring.

A year from now there will be no Sterling Trucks. A year from now, Caterpillar will not be taking orders for new truck engines. A year from now, fleets will be teaching their drivers how to use urea (or “Diesel Emissions Fluid,” if you prefer) in their trucks, and where to find it. Those are the things we know of for certain. Other things we can only speculate on… A year from now, the local dealer you depend on for warranty work may not be in business. A year from now there may be no Dodge trucks. A year from now there may be no Pontiacs, Saabs or Hummers. A year from now there may be no Chrysler or GM whatsoever. Or, we could all be co-owners of Chrysler and GM. A year from now, gasoline and diesel fuel prices could be reaching new lows. Or new highs.

The point is, a year from now we will all be living and operating in a much different world, and there’s no way of telling what will change or how dramatic the changes will be. The good news is that, as of next month, the grown-ups will be in charge again in Washington, and so far the new administration seems to be taking the approach that the current economic upheaval is an opportunity to create a new, green economy. I hope they’re right, because the alternative is too terrible to even think about.

The exact series of events leading up to my involvement with SuperTech may be a bit hazy, but I do distinctly remember a friendly email from Larry Johnson. Johnson, Nebraska Trucking Association President, had recently heard of the SuperTech competition from long-time TMC member and mentor Darrell Hicks. Hick’s enthusiasm must’ve rubbed off on Johnson, because next thing we knew, Nebraska was poised to have its first SuperTech competition.  Of course, Johnson had to recruit some volunteers to help guide the competition first. Fortunately for me, Omaha Truck Center is a company that fully supports both the Nebraska Trucking Association and professional development events such as these.

After a brief moment that included virtually no hesitation, I decided it was a challenge I was ready to take on. I had the privilege of attending the 2008 SuperTech competition with another representative from Nebraska, Jerry Wessel. Wessel and I were both overwhelmed by the kindness and friendliness of TMC members. We met a lot of great contacts, many of whom offered to help us. Everyone was encouraging. Honest, but encouraging. I can’t even begin to count the number of times someone said, "It will take a lot of work, but you can do it!"

Upon arriving home from Nashville, we’ve kicked it into high gear. Since September, we’ve created a steering committee of seven members, including representation from fleet members, dealer service members and an NTA representative. We’ve set a date for our competition (07-08-09, so it’s easy to remember!), so there’s no turning back now.

In the next few months, I look forward to sharing with you a behind-the-scenes perspective of the inaugural Nebraska SuperTech competition.