This class featuring Motor Age Training Instructor Brandon Steckler capitalizes on the technicians’ ability to incorporate basic testing techniques with modern diagnostic tooling and combine it with available service information to solve seemingly difficult dilemmas. All with ease and efficiency, regardless of the vehicle type. The essence of the class is built around the idea that ANYTHING can be diagnosed if adequate service information is present, including a thorough understanding of one’s diagnostic tooling (and the tools’ limitations), as well as an understanding of the physics common to all vehicle systems/components.

Brandon Steckler serves as Motor Age Technical Editor, beta tests diagnostic equipment for multiple automotive tool companies and has taught diagnostics in multiple classes for both Carquest Technical Institute and WorldPAC. Brandon has been a working technician at Lykon Automotive in Bristol, Pa., specializing in drivability and diagnostics issues. He was a student of GM’s Automotive Service Educational Program and, in 2001, graduated at the top of his class, earning the GM Leadership Award for his efforts. He has worked in the field for more than 18 years and holds ASE certifications for A1-A9, X1, L1, L2 and L3 and C1. He is a GM ASEP Certified Technician, SATURN Certified Master Technician and a Honda Factory Certified Master Technician.

FCEB Grants: Great Funding Opportunities!

During this session, Sydney Krueger will discuss available grants to use to launch projects related to Fuel cell Zero Emission rolling stock and infrastructure. Sydney will detail the process to write a successful grant and go over estimated timelines, costs, and considerations when it comes to converting your fleet to hydrogen fuel cell. This session will get you ready to submit your fist grant request to convert to a fleet of fuel cell refuse trucks, street sweeper, snow plow, fork lifts, etc. (1) How to write a succesful grant for Fuel Cell Powered Systems (2) What are estimated timelines, costs, and considerations when it comes to converting your fleet to hydrogen fuel cell applications to include in a grant? (3) What fuel cell applications are out there to write a grant for?

Once you reach a goal, then what? If you don’t have a goal, how do you define your identity? Who created the role? Who are you becoming? Pause, Let’s take a moment and gather our thoughts. Can you answer these questions with the utmost confidence? If you are like me, after reaching a major goal you get lost in setting another goal. I enjoy the fruits of my labor but when it’s time to start down a new path I get confusion, doubt and anxiety. I get lost in the transition. I created a method and consciously implemented steps to help me find my way out the darkness. This process has renewed my hope and belief in myself allowing me to redefine who I am! I have transformed through the transition. And you can too! Let’s hit the RESET button. Let’s meet Ourselves right where we are today and Develop, Improve or Confirm who we want to be tomorrow. And the next day and so on securing a long-lasting Legacy. Take a journey with me.

Effective fleet management is metric-driven, with potentially overwhelming amounts of data points to oversee and act on. How can fleet professionals analyze and manage so much data in an effective manner? The answer lies in focusing on key performance indicators to ensure they are taking the right actions and putting resources where they will do the most good. This session will highlight and explain the top 10 metrics and industry-accepted levels of proficiency and provide attendees with takeaway knowledge and tools that they can put into practice right away.

This hands-on class, taught by Motor Age Training Instructor G. Jerry Truglia of ATTS and TST, provides working knowledge of current and future Hybrid and EV technology, and the proper techniques necessary to safely diagnose, repair and service these vehicles. This course features an
overview of sub systems, including examination of the BCM, MCM and Power Inverter and the sensors they look at while controlling all aspects of the hybrid drive. Discussion includes:

-A scan tool shootout to determine best tools for the money, both enhanced and OEMs.
-How to properly use Cat III test equipment, Labscopes, DVOM, Hi/Low Current Probes an Megohmeters to speed your diagnosis.
-The value of current ramping and reference waveforms for quick localization of problems.
-Proper safety techniques for working on Hybrid/EV electronics.

G. “Jerry” Truglia has more than 45 years’ experience in the automotive field as a technician, service manager, shop owner and automotive instructor. Based near New York City, G is a long-time contributing technical editor and trainer for Motor Age and PTEN and Founder/President of training organization TST and Owner of ATTS. He is recognized by the U.S.

EPA as one of the foremost OBD II experts, technicians and trainers in the country. He developed the Massachusetts inspection manual for heavy-duty vehicles that was approved by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. He achieved National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certification, won a Golden Wrench Award and is one of 1,900 ever to be certified as a "World Class Technician." G has provided automotive training to the United States Marine Corps in Okinawa, Japan, and has worked for Peugeot in France, ATRA in Australia, ASA, ASA-CA (Instructor of the Year Award), ASA-KC and various colleges and trade schools.

Fleet electrification is a multifaceted and complex undertaking. Understanding the fundamentals of electrifying your fleet will prepare you for your next steps in learning about the vehicle market place and everything else you will need to fuel your electric vehicle fleet in a cost effective and safe manner. Understanding the fundamentals of energy supply, demand costs, facilities power requirements, communicating with and managing expectations of stakeholders, negotiating with utilities and understanding legislation, are just some of the challenges associated with the new technology of vehicle batteries and charging systems. The purchase of the vehicle is the easy part! Adaptation of new technology is challenging requiring new tools, equipment, safety training and specialized technician training. This presentation will provide you with insight into the RTC’s actual experiences over the last 8 years as we are successfully implementing our alternative fuel / zero emissions fleet policy and currently operate 1/3 of our fleet on battery electric vehicles.

Are employees exiting faster than you can replace them? Are you struggling to fill openings? The answer as to why could be in front (and around) you -- your company culture. Learn how to create an intentional culture at your organization, and why this matters to you and your employees.

How well do you really listen? Join me to learn about exceptional communications. Uncover your truth about your opportunities to improve and prepare for success. Some programs give you a model. I will share with you the ability to adopt the YOU vies so you can take your career to the next level. This is the best from advanced research with an everyday application.

Communication is not a spectator sport – come join the session if you want to learn real skills.

Exceptional Communications: An Ongoing Priority

How you learn what you don’t know and find new opportunities in the workplace. The work environment has never had as much opportunity for emerging leaders as it does currently. Due to COVID, The Great Resignation, and all the related changes, you have an opportunity to accelerate your career. Trust, relationships, and creativity are three skills necessary in any growing business today. This session will identify how communication is essential to building stronger professional development skills and how you can increase your value to your organization.

Learn the model for improved communications.
Learn how to help your team be more successful.
Learn how to develop your Career goals into reality.
Create a future of your own making.

Dallas Everhart received his BA and MBA from Western State College and Ph.D. from the University of Northern Colorado. His career is a blend of consulting, business owner, local government and higher education with positions in leadership, management, and finance. During his career, Dr. Everhart has consistently integrated innovative leadership and management theory with practical application to build teams, improve organizational performance, and increase employee productivity.

With degrees in business, psychology, management and education, Dallas has the unique ability to frame issues from both an individual and organizational perspective. Using both quantitative and qualitative research methods, Dallas has a successful record of identifying opportunities for public and private organizations to improve individual and team performance.

Dallas has worked as a finance director and city manager in local government, executive director in higher education, and owned and restored profitability to a multimillion-dollar business. His experience and client projects are diverse; ranging from implementing employee productivity programs in coals mines in Canada to working in city management in resort communities in Colorado including Aspen and Summit County.

Learn the skills of leaders who build high performing teams.  In this workshop we will provide you with a model to help improve the performance of your team.  The current application of proven concepts allows you successfully lead your team to higher performance and creativity.

EV charging is becoming more complex, not less. This presentation will go beyond ‘EV 101’ and explain how technology advancement is changing EV charging infrastructure, share cybersecurity concerns, detail EV charger preventative maintenance requirements, and pull the curtain back on charger business models to find real value-adds. As a result of this presentation, attendees will be able to (1) detail the requirements for a charger preventative maintenance, (2) explain why cybersecurity should be a part of their fleet management plan, (3) identify how medium- and heavy-duty vehicle charging affects project requirements, and (4) identify value-adds among different charging network business models. Attendees will leave with a more mature understanding of EV charging, and the general takeaway that EV charger infrastructure deployment will require increasing amounts of internal expertise in coming years.

A look at current and future levels of connected fleet strategies from basic telematics to advanced IoT (Internet of Things) to big data and beyond. Wherever you are starting on the spectrum, come gain insight how to use technology to meet your current strategic fleet goals. Then, take the next step with technology to form your long-range strategy.

My Detroit story started in 2007 when I went to work for a Tier-1 supplier. A year later Tesla released their first commercial EV, the Roadster. Thus, my tenure in automotive paralleled the rise of the EV from those uncertain early days to where we are today. What is happening goes far beyond a “disruption”. A revolution is more like it and the best-bets suggest we’re about half-way through. Where will it end? And, how will the transformation of ‘on-road’ vehicles impact the rest of transportation? What does it mean for ‘off-road’ vehicles, equipment, and fleet composition?

The changes we’ve seen and the changes to come go far beyond just the elimination of internal combustion. Impacts will reach the way public works is approached, the power deployed, and the tools used to get the job done.

Growing up in the north suburbs of Chicago, Matt was blessed with an opportunity to attend Rollins College in Winter Park, FL to play baseball, where he earned a degree in Economics. He also worked at the Writing Center on campus, which brought opportunities to present at national conferences on writing.

After college, Matt moved back to the Midwest to open a sports card & collectible business with his brother. At their peak, they had three retail locations and a mail order/wholesale division. The baseball strike of 1994 and the arrival of his first daughter moved Matt to the corporate world.

Matt’s corporate career has spanned twenty-five years, in various markets and industries. His path eventually took him to Modineer Company out of Niles, MI, a Tier-1 automotive supplier. Matt was responsible for their General Motors account, which became Modineer’s top grossing customer during his tenure. In all, he logged nearly fifteen years in the automotive industry, starting when electrification was just a pipedream. He was able to watch EVs transform the automotive industry to where it is today. This unique perspective convinced Matt the off-road vehicle market would follow, making his decision to join DANNAR an easy one.

Matt enjoys spending time with his wife, Jodi, and two adult daughters. You may also find him on a golf course or cheering on the Fighting Irish. His favorite hours are very early Saturday mornings in his recliner with his tomcat, Bart, toiling away at the next great American novel.

The most innovative teams and organizations create their own future. You can learn the skills used by successful entrepreneurs to generate creativity and implement change.  This model has been used in public and private organizations to inspire innovation and create a great workplace. 

Cory will provide an overview of what you need to about CNG systems including:
• General benefits of a CNG fleet.
• Is CNG safe?
• Is your facility optimally located for a CNG install? How close is the nearest high-pressure line?
• CNG/RNG installation variables and considerations.
• High level discussion of costs for CNG/RNG installations.
• CNG emissions versus gasoline and diesel emissions.
• Fuel costs for CNG versus gasoline or diesel.
• CNG versus EV.
• Maintenance facilities for CNG vehicles.
• What is RNG? Will it work for us?
• Funding your project—grants, incentives and other options.
• Representative project profiles for CNG and RNG installations.
• Questions?

How do you know if you are doing an excellent job as a fleet manager? Is your fleet operation competitive with outside vendors? This session will cover the Top Ten Performance Measures for Fleet Managers.

Many public fleet managers have a tough time verbally proving to upper management, mayors, councils and commissioners that their fleet operation is a very important part of the overall municipal operation, that it is professionally managed and that it is extremely competitive. It is beneficial to report detailed fleet information with graphs including ten performance measures that explain how to arrive at this conclusion. This will prove to them you are running a competitive operation and that you are a subject matter expert and justify investment in the fleet division.

Performance measures are an especially valuable tool for fleet managers when identifying the effectiveness, efficiency, quality, timeliness, productivity, and safety of the fleet services department.

Looking for simple solutions to manage unconscious bias, cultural, and generational differences at work? Confused with your changing organizational culture? Whether working with your colleagues or customers, this dynamic keynote will have valuable information that will empower you to break the barriers and prevent unnecessary biases, conflict, stereotyping, and misunderstandings.

Hydrogen is a sustainable, renewable fuel source to power vehicles. Air Products is the market leader with regards to producing, distributing and providing onsite dispensing equipment in order to fuel vehicles with hydrogen. This presentation covers the hydrogen life cycle; production, distribution and the onsite equipment necessary to dispense hydrogen into vehicles. Production methods vary depending on end user requirements. The production is either centralized or onsite. The molecule is produced from varying levels of renewable feedstock per end user requests. Distribution methods vary depending on end user volume demand and distance from source. There are two methods of delivery; gaseous form or liquid form. In order to dispense H2 into a vehicle, equipment is needed onsite. The time to fill specification and maximum tank pressure design of the vehicle determine the equipment set needed at the end user’s facility. The configuration of the equipment set establishes the footprint and utility needs.

Your organization can save tens of thousands—even hundreds of thousands of dollars—by sharing vehicles, reducing unneeded vehicles, and automating fleet management processes. By automating things vehicle reservations, dispatching, and billing and reporting, your organization can experience incredible time savings (for fleet managers) and convenience (for users of the fleet.) But if you are just starting to plan your vehicle sharing program, how do you effectively communicate your plan to others? If you are faced with the task of “selling” the idea to upper management and other stakeholders, what evidence do you need to back up your plan and ensure successful buy-in? Nothing breaks the cadence in a major process change more than a list of unanswered questions. Get the answers you need by attending this session. Learn step by step how to make a business case for a shared vehicle initiative, and all the reasons why it makes the MOST sense under pandemic or other unforeseen circumstances. Hear real-world examples from fleet managers who have “been there and done that” successfully making a business case and launching motor pools while keeping stakeholders happy and reducing costs. Discover the pitfalls to avoid before launching your motor pool, and they might not be what you think!