The American Trucking Associations (ATA) and its Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) recently selected Tyson Foods’ Clifford Robinson as the first Trailer Technician Superstar as part of the inaugural National Technician Appreciation Week.
TMC also named Old Dominion Freight Line’s (ODFL) Mike Neer the Heavy Duty Technician Superstar and RushOKC’s Chad Moore the Light and Medium Duty Technician Superstar during the inaugural event, which ran through September 25.
“Recognizing professional excellence is an important part of what we want National Technician Appreciation Week to be,” said Robert Braswell, TMC’s executive director. “Clifford demonstrates that excellence regularly and we are pleased to honor him with this award.”
For 2020, TMC conducted a new Technician Superstar Program in recognition of the first National Technician Appreciation Week. Companies were encouraged to nominate a person or persons from their organizations who exemplify excellence as a commercial vehicle tech. Winners were selected for three categories: heavy duty, trailer, and light and medium duty.
Roberson, of Russellville, Arkansas, has served as a technician for Tyson Foods since May 2002, and was named Team Member of the Year of the Tyson Valley Maintenance Center in 2019. He is considered an exceptionally reliable performer, having achieved six years of perfect attendance as a refrigerated trailer technician for Tyson.
“He is a lifelong mechanic that can and will work on anything,” said Dustin McKibbin, shop supervisor at Tyson. “Clifford is currently a reefer tech at Tyson … but will do whatever is asked of him, whether it be on a truck, hydraulics on a feed trailer, forklift at any of the local plants, yard trucks, (or) live-haul trailers.
“To say that Clifford is very knowledgeable would be spot on.”
Technician Superstar winners will receive a complementary registration to a TMC meeting of their choice and one year’s membership in the Council.
Neer, of Parsons, Kansas, has served as a technician for ODFL since 2005 and is a past winner of the Old Dominion Service 2.0 OD Award, which is given for service above and beyond the call of duty.
“Mike is a great team member for the Parsons’ Fleet Maintenance Location, where he’s always willing to accept new assignments and mentor other technicians when asked to do so,” said Francis Chandler, ODFL shop manager. “He is always training and keeping up to date on the latest technologies.”
Moore, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, has served for several years as a Ford vehicle technician for Rush OKC, and is a certified Senior Master Technician.
“Chad is a great mentor for other medium-duty technicians, takes great pride in his work and his team’s work, and understands the importance of customer satisfaction,” said Rush OKC General Manager Kevin Williams. “He is a good leader and goes above and beyond helping others.”
