How To Get An Edge Up On TMCSuperTech Competitors

There are many ways in which companies help prepare their technicians to showcase their knowledge and abilities at the TMCSuperTech - North America’s National Technician Skills Competition for professional commercial vehicle technicians.

The annual event is put on by the Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC), and held concurrently with its annual fall meeting. This year it is September 10 to 13 in Pittsburgh, PA.

A technical council of American Trucking Associations (ATA) - the largest national trade association for the trucking industry, TMC’s mission is to improve transport equipment, its maintenance and maintenance management.

 

TRAINING GROUNDS

Two measures companies take to ready their technicians for the TMCSuperTech are to create their own technician skills competition, and have their technicians compete in local, regional or state technician skills competitions.

The feeling is that technicians who take part in such competitions will be better equipped to compete at the national level because they gain insight and experience into what they can expect at the industry’s main event.

In many cases, corporate, local, regional and state technician skills competitions mirror those conducted at the national TMCSuperTech and include written tests as well as hands-on diagnostic skills stations.

The grand champions of state trucking association and maintenance council technician skills competitions automatically qualify for the TMCSuperTech. Their entry fee is waived and they skip the pre-qualification tests and are automatically included in the Hands-On Skills Challenge.

 

GUIDANCE FOR COMPETITIONS

TMC has developed a manual, How to Conduct a Technician Skills Competition, to help organizations conduct their own technician skills competitions.

In addition to detailing how the TMCSuperTech is organized, the manual provides step-by-step guidance, advice and recommendations for participating. There is also information on proper attire and safety for competitors, tools and parts required, skills stations organization and scoring and judging.

Sample forms and competition scoring sheets are included.

The manual also contains guidelines on how organizations can establish and promote their competitions at a state/regional or corporate level. There are also the particulars on how organizations can ensure their competition champions register to compete in the TMCSuperTech.

How to Conduct a Technician Skills Competition may be downloaded, at no cost, from: www.truckline.com/federation/councils/tmc/documents/how2suprtc.pdf.

 

STATE COMPETITIONS

These state maintenance councils currently conduct a professional technician skills competition:

Arizona

Arizona Trucking Association

Skills Competition Contact: Eli Garza

Phone: (623) 386-0087

Email: eli.garza@wal-mart.com

Website: www.arizonatrucking.com

Arkansas

Arkansas Maintenance & Technology Council

Skills Competition Contact: Sarah Sheets

Phone: (501-372-3462)

Email: sarahsheets@arkansastrucking.com

Website: www.arkansastrucking.com

California

California Trucking Association

Skills Competition Contact: Mike Siebert

Phone: (949) 413-6632

Email: mike.siebert@apexlogisticsllc.com

Website: www.caltrux.org

Delaware

Delaware Motor Transport Association

Skills Competition Contact: Phillip Schibblehut

Phone: (302) 659-4852

Email: phillip.schibblehut@wal-mart.com

Website: n/a

Florida

Florida Trucking Association

Skills Competition Contact: Rob Carryl

Phone: (904) 423-1373

Email: rob.carryl@reliancesupply.com

Website: www.fltrucking.org

Indiana

Indiana Motor Truck Association

Skills Competition Contact: Randy Obermeyer

Phone: (831) 931-5448

Email: randy.obermeyer@batesville.net

Website: www.imtaonline.net

Kansas

Kansas Motor Truck Association

Skills Competition Contact: Warren Krauss

Phone: (785) 267-1641

Email: warrenk@kmca.org

Website: www.kmca.org

Kentucky

Kentucky Motor Transport Association

Skills Competition Contact: Gene Blasi

Phone: (502) 778-1529

Email: gebe_blasi@whayne.com

Website: www.kmta.net

Maine

Maine Motor Transport Association