FedEx recently paid tribute to its top techs at its Top Wrench skills contest in Texas.
The top 12 mechanics from Top Wrench earned spots to represent the company at the industry-wide TMCSuperTech competition Sept. 16–20 in Orlando, Fla. TMCSuperTech is considered the premier skills competition for professional commercial vehicle technicians.
Mark McLean, Jr., a technician in Montgomery, N.Y., and a three-time TMCSuperTech Grand champion, placed first at Top Wrench.
“What we do at Top Wrench is what we do in the shop every day, but you see it from a different angle,” said McLean, the defending TMCSuperTech Grand Champion. “It opens your eyes to where to find information in OEM literature on how to do things correctly. What you learn through the competitions becomes muscle memory. You practice it every day in the shop. It all pays off in the end.”
The skills challenges included workstations that focus on a range of concentrations technicians face daily. The stations tested competitors’ knowledge of such things as shop safety, preventative maintenance, brakes, electrical systems and more.
Additional top finishers from FedEx Freight’s Top Wrench competition included:
- 2ndplace: Matt Sloan (Jacksonville, Fla.)
- 3rdplace: Philip Barlow (Jacksonville, Fla.)
- 4thplace: Larry Coatney (Harrison, Ark.)
- 5thplace: Kelby Bentley (Greensboro, N.C.)
- 6thplace: Phillip Pinter (Detroit)
- 7thplace: Doug Nickles (Rock Island, Ill.)
- 8thplace: Jamie Smith (Cincinnati)
- 9thplace: Troy Hiatt (Des Moines, Iowa)
- 10thplace: Joseph Paul (Des Moines, Iowa)
- 11thplace: Chris Czerwinski (West Palm Beach, Fla.)
- 12thplace: Kevin Arrington (Portland, Ore.)
“We had a great week showcasing what our 1,500 technicians do day in and day out to ensure equipment safety and support the industry-leading FedEx Freight service product,” said Joe Oleson, managing director of equipment and maintenance support at FedEx Freight. “We are bringing a strong team to the 2018 national TMCSuperTech competition and could not be more pleased with all the technicians who competed in Dallas.”
The FedEx Freight finalists from Top Wrench will face competitors from across the industry at TMCSuperTech in September. The Technology & Maintenance Council of the American Trucking Associations (ATA) will host the event.
