FedEx’s Vos Wins SuperTech; TMC Seeks Young Technicians

ORLANDO, Fla. — Eric Vos, a FedEx Freight technician from Boise, Idaho, admitted he was nervous when he didn’t hear his name called as an individual station winner at TMC SuperTech.

He was left wondering, “What happened? Maybe I messed up a couple stations? I had my ups and downs, but I felt really good about the whole competition.”

In the end, it was his steady performance on the competition’s written test and skills challenge that earned him the title 2015 Grand Champion.

A record 147 competitors took part in the 11th annual National Technician Skills Competition here.

The contest was conducted during American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council fall meeting, where the most frequently discussed topic was the technician shortage.

“Hopefully, they will see [SuperTech] and maybe that will be enough to help guide them in this direction because we surely can use them,” said TMC Chairman Kevin Tomlinson. “There are a whole bunch of carriers out there that need them.”

FedEx Freight technicians Brian Blevins and Josh Nordick finished second and third, respectively. The company completed its sweep when it also won the team competition as Doug Nickles, Drew Dilmuth, Larry Coatney and Steve Willis all earned individual station victories.

“I’m a proud papa right now,” said Michael Ducker, CEO of FedEx Freight. “They try to make each other better, and that is the thing that makes me more proud than anything else.”

While FedEx Freight claimed the highest honors, Chris Barnett of Ryder System and Terry Podralski of W.W. Williams Corp. each won two individual stations. Tens of thousands of dollars in prizes and gift cards were awarded to the top performers, including VIP trips to NASCAR races, courtesy of SuperTech’s sponsors and supporters.

For Vos, the grand champion, the ninth time participating in SuperTech proved to be the charm. He finished in second place on two occasions.

He said he “hit the books more” in preparation for 2015. “Once you master book work, it brings your score up.”

Vos, 31, thanked FedEx for providing the tools “we need to become better technicians.” His family was not in attendance, but he thanked his wife, Amanda, and young children Zac and Emily for being his “home support group” and making sacrifices so he could compete.

Vos originally studied mechanical engineering in college but transitioned to the technician field because it is better than “sitting behind a cubicle.” He said he will visit community colleges to encourage students to enter his profession, and he wants to become a teacher to help the next generation become better technicians.

And many more will be needed. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates trucking will need to recruit 67,000 new techs by 2022 and 75,000 diesel engine specialists.

George Arrants, SuperTech’s competition chairman, was among those offering ideas on how to attract a new generation of technicians.

“This is a national program with a local solution,” he said. “We need to solve this with a grass-roots effort locally.”

Mike Meredith, who heads the Professional Technician Development Committee, called the industry’s technicians under the age of 30 a critical “untapped resource.”

He said that when he speaks with students about the computer and electronic skills today’s technicians need, it can be a difficult sell because of his older appearance. The response tends to be different when a younger professional technician joins him, he said.

“They gravitate to that technician,” Meredith said. “The people who want to know more — they want to hear it from those actually doing the job.”

The growth of the group’s TMC FutureTech competition suggests that some students might be getting the message. Thirty-seven students competed this year, more than double the 2014 total.

Daniel Hanna of Forsyth Technical Community College took first place, Jonathan Kelly of Southside Virginia Community College was second and Karl Kerutis of WyoTech Blairsville placed third.

“A lot of times, they were doing the same items the SuperTechs were doing. That was exciting to see,” said Tomlinson, who is director of maintenance at South Shore Transportation.

Vos’ victory in the professional competition followed back-to-back grand championships by Mark McLean, a FedEx Freight technician from Newburgh, New York. SuperTech rules required McLean to sit out this year, so he helped judge an electrical skills competition.

“It gives you a different perspective,” he said. “I don’t think some people realize it can be challenging to be a judge and make sure you are fair and equitable to everybody.”

The 26-year-old said he already was thinking about qualifying for SuperTech in 2016. He also shared an encounter with a student technician who was unsure about competing after arriving in Orlando.

“I told him, ‘You have nothing to lose.’ The only thing that is going to happen is that you will go out there and learn something. That is what it has done for me,” McLean said. “I was glad to see him down here today competing.”