After all, he was named the 2017 Grand Champion at the National Technicians Skills Competition at the American Trucking Associations’ Technology and Maintenance Council fall meeting in Orlando, Fla.
But, it was most likely just one of three of the highest points. McLean became the first ever three-time winner of the annual event.
“It feels good,” said the New Paltz, N.Y., resident who works for FedEx Freight.
“I am a competitive person and I take a lot of pride in my work, so this kind of validates what I do. That means a lot to me, especially with so many talented techs here from all over the country.”
McLean also led FedEx Freight to its fifth straight victory in the team competition alongside Doug Nickels, who finished as the runner up in the overall competition. FedEx remains the only fleet to ever win the team competition since its inception five years ago.
“All of the competitors at TMCSuperTech and TMCFutureTech set a professional standard for our entire industry to strive for, but Mark’s commitment to excellence raises that standard,” says ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “I want to congratulate him, and all of the competitors in Orlando for their hard work these past few days and all year round keeping America’s trucks moving.”
Darrell Duggan, of Wal-Mart Transportation LLC, won the TMCSuperTech Trailer Technician Competition.
In another history making win, Bonnie Greenwood, a student from WyoTech in Laramie, Wy., became the first woman to win the TMCFutureTech National Student Technician Competition.
“TMC has been raising awareness about the trucking industry’s need for technicians,” says TMC Executive Director Robert Braswell, “the skills demonstrated by Mark and Darrell and their fellow TMCSuperTech competitors show the talent that already exists in our industry and the proficiency Bonnie and her fellow students displayed that our industry is in good hands in the future. On behalf of the entire TMC membership, I want to congratulate them and all our participants on a tremendous competition.”
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
