TMCSuperTech2011 winners announced

March 11, 2014
Last year’s grand champion takes top honor again

Jeffrey Schlecht, a technician at Omaha Truck Center, Norfolk, NE, has been recognized as the trucking industry’s top technician.

He was named grand champion of this year’s Technology & Maintenance Council’s TMCSuperTech - a national technician skills competition - held last week in Raleigh, NC.

Schlecht also earned the top spot in last year’s TMCSuperTech 2010, which was the first time he competed in the event.

The TMCSuperTech, now in its seventh year, is two-day competition specifically designed to showcase a technician’s diagnostic and problem-solving skills though a series of troubleshooting tests and challenges - both written and hands-on.

It was organized by TMC’s Professional Technician Development Committee (PTDC) to recognized and promote truck technicians on a national level.

The first phase of the TMCSuperTech is a complicated qualifying written multiple-choice examination and a hands-on skills test.

The top 100 or so scorers advance to the Hands-On Skills Challenge - a series of stations that cover key diagnostic skills areas. Each 25-minute-long skill station has its own set of challenges.

Top Finishers

John Ragland, FedEx Express, Kansas City, KS, finished second in the TMCSuperTech2011. He took third place in last year’s competition.

Third place went to Michael Bogart, Ryder System, Neenah, WI. Last year he finished fifth.

Schlecht, Ragland and Bogart each received a special trophy and valuable prizes.

Also placing in the top 10 spots for TMCSuperTech2011 were:

4. Jonathan Timmons, Ryder System, Miami, FL.

5. Randy Qualls, Wal-Mart Transportation, Waterloo, SC.

6. Eric Vos, FedEx Freight, Boise, ID. He was sixth in last year’s competition.

7. Christopher Tate, Mohawk Truck, West Seneca, NY.

8. David Lewis, Wal-Mart Transportation, Amelia Court House, VA.

9. Michael Vallery, Oak Harbor Freight Lines, Newberg, OH. In TMCSuperTech 2010 he placed fourth.

10. David Bishop, Wal-Mart Transportation, Seligman, MO.

There were 112 technicians from 33 companies, including 13 state champions, that participated in TMCSuperTech2011. That was up 10 percent from the previous event.

Fleet Maintenance Magazine is a proud sponsor of the TMCSuperTech Competition.

Others Honored

Along with recognizing the trucking industry’s top technicians, the TMCSuperTech also honors the top performer at each of the competition’s Hands-On Skill Station Challenge stations.

Skill stations winners were:

- Written Test: Michael Bogart, Ryder System, Neenah, WI.

- Suspension/Steering: Sean Chess, Navistar, Connellsville, PA.

- HVAC: Randy Qualls, Wal-Mart Transportation, Waterloo, SC.

- Fasteners: Charles Ralston, TravelCenters of America, Valparaiso, IN.

- Engine Electrical: Eric Tucker, NationaLease, Manchester, NH.

- Starting/Charging: Steve Willis, FedEx Freight, Henderson, CO.  

- Drivetrain: Steve Roen, Rush Peterbilt, Irving, TX.

- Preventive Maintenance Inspection: Bryan Barger, Swift Transportation, Los Lunas, NM.

- Electrical Systems: Jessy Frisk, The Kroger Co., Clackamas, OR.

- Fifth Wheel: Michael Vallery, Oak Harbor Freight Lines, Newberg, OH.

- Trailer Alignment: John Ragland, FedEx Express, Kansas City, KS.

- Tire & Wheel: Rudy Laguna, H-E-B Grocery Co., San Antonio, TX.

- Service Information: Michael Vallery, Oak Harbor Freight Lines, Newberg, OH.

- Repair Order: Robert McNees, Truck Centers, St. Louis, MO.

- Brakes: Phillip Mellor, Swift Transportation, Albuquerque, NM.

-  Wheel End: Robert Pyeatt, Wal-Mart Transportation, Gravette, AR.

- Engine Mechanical: Joe Flores, Swift Transportation, Lathrop, CA.

All skill stations winners received valuable prizes.

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