FedEx Freight Technicians Dominate at TMCSuperTech for Seventh Year in a Row
MEMPHIS, Tenn., Nov. 4, 2019 – Joseph Paul, a native of Laurel, Iowa, and a fleet maintenance technician based in Des Moines, captured the Trailer Champion title and represented FedEx Freight, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX), at the 2019 TMCSuperTech competition held in Raleigh, North Carolina.
TMCSuperTech is the American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) premier skills competition for professional commercial vehicle technicians and is organized by the ATA Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) Professional Technician Development Committee.
Paul was proud to represent the FedEx Freight team. As a four-time TMCSuperTech competitor, Paul finished first in the Trailer Track Competition. FedEx Freight technician Cory Westfall (Effingham, Illinois) was the runner-up.
“SuperTech competitions have been a huge part of my development as a technician during the past four years,” Paul said. “I feel very honored to be the first Trailer Champion representing FedEx Freight.”
Led by Kelby Bentley (Greensboro, North Carolina), who captured the Grand Champion title, fleet maintenance technicians from FedEx Freight captured five of the top 10 finishes at SuperTech.
This is the seventh straight year FedEx Freight had a technician win the Grand Champion title. Bentley joins Phillip Pinter (2018), Mark McLean Jr. (2013, 2014, 2017) and Eric Vos (2015, 2016) as Grand Champions over the past seven years.
Doug Nickles (Rock Island, Illinois) finished as the national runner-up. Philip Barlow (Jacksonville, Florida) earned the fifth-place title. Larry Coatney (Harrison, Arkansas) placed sixth. Eighth place went to Matt Sloan (Jacksonville, Florida).
“Competing at SuperTech has kept me engaged and makes me want to come back every year. I have learned a lot from my peers and built relationships and memories that will last a lifetime”, said Paul.
More than 120 technicians from across the industry faced off in the competition. They were challenged with a written exam and hands-on skills tasks which tested each technician’s knowledge of shop safety, precision measuring, safety and environment, brakes, trailer lighting systems, torque, electrical, preventative maintenance and more.
“I’m incredibly proud of our FedEx Freight competitors, who delivered another outstanding performance at this year’s TMCSuperTech,” said John Smith, President & CEO of FedEx Freight. “These technicians keep our fleet running on a daily basis; allowing FedEx Freight to deliver the Purple Promise to our customers. Their impressive skills are critical to our commitment to Safety Above All.”
FedEx Freight fleet maintenance technicians earned the opportunity to represent the company at SuperTech through their performance during the company’s internal skills competition, Top Wrench. More than 660 technicians competed in Top Wrench competitions this year.
As part of its support of STEM/Employment Pathways, FedEx Freight sponsored five student technicians who competed at FutureTech, TMC’s National Student Technician Competition, which was held in conjunction with SuperTech.
Four of the students sponsored by FedEx Freight won skills stations, while two finished among the top three. Travis Cox, Lincoln Technical Institute student and Shop Technician, Hartford, Connecticut, finished first. Jacob Sweatt (Forsyth Technical Community College, Winston-Salem Transportation Center) finished second.
About FedEx Freight
With corporate offices in Memphis, Tennessee, the FedEx Freight Segment includes FedEx Freight, a leading U.S. provider of LTL freight services, and FedEx Freight Canada, an LTL operating company serving most points in Canada. FedEx Freight also serves Mexico, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For more information, visit fedex.com.
Corporate Overview
FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenues of $70 billion, the company offers integrated business solutions through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world’s most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 450,000 team members to remain focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. To learn more about how FedEx connects people and possibilities around the world, please visit about.fedex.com.