MEMPHIS, Tenn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#FleetMaintenance–Led by Kelby Bentley, who captured the Grand Champion title, fleet maintenance technicians from FedEx Freight, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX), captured five of the top 10 finishes at the 2019 TMCSuperTech competition held in Raleigh, North Carolina.
TMCSuperTech is the American Trucking Associations’ premier skills competition for professional commercial vehicle technicians and is organized by the ATA Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) Professional Technician Development Committee.
This is the seventh straight year FedEx Freight had a technician win the Grand Champion title. Bentley, a technician at the Greensboro service center, joins Phillip Pinter (2018), Mark McLean Jr. (2013, 2014, 2017) and Eric Vos (2015, 2016) as Grand Champions over the past seven years. Bentley also won a skills test station – Tractor PMI.
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).
Two other FedEx Freight technicians finished first and second in the Trailer Track Competition. Joseph Paul (Des Moines, Iowa) captured the Trailer Champion title. Cory Westfall (Effingham, Illinois) was the runner-up.
FedEx Freight also captured the team trophy for the seventh consecutive year, thanks to the combined scores of Bentley and Coatney. FedEx Freight remains the only fleet to ever win the team competition since its inception in 2013.
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, Tenn., 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.
Contacts
Lillie Flenorl
901.434.8411
lillie.flenorl@fedex.com
