FedEx Freight Dominates 2017 TMC SuperTech Competition
FedEx Freight technician Mark McLean came away with an unprecedented third TMC SuperTech title at the 2017 competition held in Orlando, Florida.

FedEx Freight technician Mark McLean said he hopes to one day move into fleet management and share his knowledge and experience with young, up-and-coming technicians.
ORLANDO -- FedEx Freight technicians racked up 10 separate station victories at the Technology & Maintenance Council’s 2017 SuperTech competition this week, as Mark McLean came away with an unprecedented third SuperTech title in five years.

The Montgomery, New York-based technician won the Grand Championship title in 2013 and 2014, then took second place last year after sitting out 2015 due to a rule requiring repeat winners to take a break after back-to-back wins.
More than 1,000 TMC members, SuperTech competitors and their spouses were in attendance at a banquet held at the Marriott World Center Resort in Orlando, Florida, as TMC gave out over $100,000 in cash and prizes to technicians competing from all over the United States. As the evening wore on, the SuperTech Award Ceremony was dominated by numerous category victories by both FedEx Freight and Walmart Transport, with respectable showings also posted by Travel Centers of America and BASE Air Management. But McLean’s multiple wins eventually put him solidly in first place.
Doug Nickels, also with FedEx Freight, took second place SuperTech honors, with Joseph Calaway with BASE Air Management taking third place overall. Despite its strong showing by individual technicians, Walmart did not have a Top 10 finalist at the end of the evening, while FedEx Freight technicians took 8 of the Top 10 finalist slots in the overall rankings.
McLean, who said he was first attracted to a career as a diesel technician by working on cars as a young boy, said he hoped his SuperTech wins would help him move into a fleet management role in the future in order to fulfill his dream of mentoring and helping young technicians grow their skill sets and reach their full potential.
The evening was special for another reason as well. For the first time, TMC had a female technician walk away with both category wins and an overall victory, when WyoTech student Bonnie Greenwood was named 2017 TMC FutureTech Grand Champion earlier in the night.
TMC’s FutureTech Competition allows worthy technical school students to compete for cash and prizes in a separate event as a way of highlighting careers in the field of fleet maintenance. Greenwood won a total of three categories and walked away from the winner’s stage with more than $4,000 in cash and prizes.
The Top 10 winners for the 2017 TMC SuperTech Competition are:
Mark McLean, FedEx Freight
Doug Nickels, FedEx Freight
Joesph Calaway, BASE Air Management
Matt Sloan, FedEx Freight
Larry Coatney, FedEx Freight
Michael Gavrielides, Travel Centers of America
Phillip Barlow, FedEx Freight
Terry Podralski, W.W. Williams
Phillip Pinter, FedEx Freight
Joseph Paul, FedEx Freight
More Maintenance

Possible Battery-Cable Fires Prompt Recall of 15,000+ International MV and HV Trucks
On the recalled vehicles, manufacturing variations can cause the battery interconnect cable to contact the auxiliary stud and hold down the bracket.
Read More →
Rush, MCT Team Up to Grow Refrigeration Service Network
The joint venture will operate MCT's network of Carrier Transicold dealerships and mobile service locations, with the companies promising greater service capacity and uptime for refrigerated fleets.
Read More →
ConMet Expands Aftermarket Brake Drum Lineup With TruCast
A new heavy-duty truck brake drum option in the aftermarket gives customers more flexibility within the ConMet product family.
Read More →
Mack Expands Premium Service Contract Coverage to Medium-Duty MD
With a service contract, inspections, preventive maintenance and repairs can be handled in a single visit instead of multiple ones.
Read More →
Maintenance in the Messy Middle Part 5: Battery-Electric Trucks
No oil changes. No diesel exhaust fluid. No exhaust aftertreatment. But NACFE battery-electric trucks still require specialized maintenance procedures.
Read More →
Trucking Fleets Faced Record Operating Costs During Third Year of Freight Recession
ATRI's annual operational cost report shows carriers trimmed fleets, delayed equipment purchases, and ran older trucks as expenses continued to outpace freight rates.
Read More →
Noregon Launches CAN Mentor to Simplify Vehicle Network Diagnostics
New Noregon software helps technicians identify CAN network issues without requiring advanced diagnostic equipment or specialized training.
Read More →
Maintenance in the Messy Middle Part 4: Renewable Natural Gas
The keys to running renewable natural gas as a fleet fuel depend on specialized technician training, rigorous inspection schedules and an understanding of high-pressure fuel systems.
Read More →
Mack Adds 'Lock & Leave' Feature to Simplify Over-the-Air Software Updates
Mack’s new OTA enhancement allows drivers to start eligible software updates, lock the truck and walk away.
Read More →
Maintenance in the Messy Middle Part 3: Biodiesel
Biodiesel can reduce emissions, improve fuel-system lubricity and use existing diesel infrastructure. But NACFE’s Messy Middle maintenance report says fleets must actively manage storage, cold-weather operation, filters and oil drain intervals to avoid problems.
Read More →
