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: [email protected]
Website: www.arizonatrucking.com
Arkansas
Arkansas Maintenance & Technology Council
Skills Competition Contact: Sarah Sheets
Phone: (501-372-3462)
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.arkansastrucking.com
California
California Trucking Association
Skills Competition Contact: Mike Siebert
Phone: (949) 413-6632
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.caltrux.org
Delaware
Delaware Motor Transport Association
Skills Competition Contact: Phillip Schibblehut
Phone: (302) 659-4852
Email: [email protected]
Website: n/a
Florida
Florida Trucking Association
Skills Competition Contact: Rob Carryl
Phone: (904) 423-1373
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.fltrucking.org
Indiana
Indiana Motor Truck Association
Skills Competition Contact: Randy Obermeyer
Phone: (831) 931-5448
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.imtaonline.net
Kansas
Kansas Motor Truck Association
Skills Competition Contact: Warren Krauss
Phone: (785) 267-1641
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.kmca.org
Kentucky
Kentucky Motor Transport Association
Skills Competition Contact: Gene Blasi
Phone: (502) 778-1529
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.kmta.net
Maine
Maine Motor Transport Association
Skills Competition Contact: Randy DeVaualt
Phone: (207) 623-4128
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.mmta.com
Missouri
Missouri Trucking Association
Skills Competition Contact: Ron Breau
Phone: (573) 634-3388
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.motrucking.org
Montana
Motor Carriers of Montana
(The competition includes the Colorado, Idaho, Utah and Wyoming state trucking associations.)
Skills Competition Contact: Frank Molodecki
Phone: (406) 896-3489
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.mttrucking.org
Nebraska
Nebraska Trucking Association
Skills Competition Contact: Suzanne Eggert
Phone: (402) 476-8504
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.nebtrucking.com
New York
New York State Motor Truck Association
Skills Competition Contact: Tracy Francis
Phone: (518) 458-9696
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.nytrucks.org
Oklahoma
Oklahoma Trucking Association
Chairman: Bonne Karim
Phone: (405) 641-5241
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.oktrucking.org
Oregon
Oregon Trucking Associations
Skills Competition Contact: Dean Moyer
Phone: (971) 263-6780
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.ortrucking.org
South Carolina
South Carolina Trucking Association
Skills Competition Contact: Chris Davis
Phone: (803) 513-8245
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.sctrucking.org
Tennessee
Tennessee Trucking Association
Skills Competition Contact: Wayne Finchum
Phone: (931) 684-5032
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.tntrucking.org
Texas
Texas Motor Transportation Association
Skills Competition Contact: Lance Shillingburg
Phone: (512) 478-2541
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.tmta.com
