It’s hard to believe that another year is gone. It seems like yesterday I was writing about the 2007 TMC SuperTech competition. Now the 4th annual TMC SuperTech competition was just completed in September.
Once again, I was amazed at the attention this skills competition has garnered over the past four years. Having participated in the initial planning of the event in 2004 and 2005, I recall some concern about its ability to attract enough competitors to fill the 50 slots around which we planned the competition. In fact, SuperTech 2005 drew 67 competitors to Valley Forge, Pa., thanks in part to the competition “teams” sponsored by several of the large, national trucking fleets.
The event has grown, both in size and scope. This year, forty separate companies yielded a competition field of 128 technicians attempting to qualify for 96 available slots in the hands-on competition. Rather than letting this column devolve into a statistical report, I’d like to focus more on the human, organization and attitudinal aspects of the event.
Under the auspices of the Technology and Maintenance Council (TMC), interest among its fleet membership is expected. In the past, a competitor from a non-fleet service operation was more likely due to their being a winner of a state-level competition, or working in the vicinity of the competition that year. For 2008, however, virtually all segments of the heavy-duty vehicle service industry were represented: private fleets, common carriers, municipal/government fleets, service centers, dealers and an OEM. Eight states (Arkansas, Kentucky, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas) sent winners from their skills competitions.
And the competition is getting stiff! Each year since its inception, to accommodate more competitors, the number of workstations has increased (by two each year). Now, for each workstation added, the number of potential points in the competition increases. For example, this year the number of workstations (15 plus two qualifying stations) provided each competitor a chance to earn a maximum score of 1,700 (compared to 900 in 2005). Only 5 points separated 1st and 2nd place, and the point spread among the top ten finishers was 105 points –– 6% of the total number!
David Lewis, of Wal-Mart Transportation LLC successfully defended his title from 2007, winning again this year. Some might say that, at this level, on any given day, luck –– good or bad –– could throw anyone in or out of contention. But to come back and repeat your performance, I’d say that’s more than luck. Congratulations, David.
SuperTech has provided a means of recognizing the contribution of heavy-duty technicians in keeping America’s trucks on the road, and for improving the image of the professional technician. But it is not the only opportunity for fleet managers to recognize their top performers. So while I’ve got you thinking along those lines, here’s another opportunity.
Do you have a technician or machinist who exemplifies the best qualities of heavy-duty vehicle maintenance? Five industry suppliers –– Bendix, Dayton Parts, Haldex, MAHLE Clevite and SKF –– are seeking nominations to honor the 2008 Technician of the Year at the upcoming Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week in Las Vegas, in February. Check it out at www.techoftheyear.com.
