TRA INING
The Technology & Maintenance Council’s
TMCSuperTech 2018 Technician Skills
Competition is now in the books. What did
we learn from this event?
First, all of the fi rst-place winners in the
four competitions of this year’s TMCSuperTech
– which includes the traditional heavy duty
diesel technician track, the TMCFutureTech
student track, the trailer track and the light/
medium duty technician track (new this year)
– were all fi rst-time winners.
All of the individual competitions had a
combination of specifi c skills that these technicians
perform on a regular basis, as well as a
series of skills that, at times, we may not place
near the emphasis we should.
I refer to these skills that aren’t necessarily
used on a regular basis as the “assumed skills.”
Assumed skills include some of the following
44 Fleet Maintenance | November/December 2018
categories: fasteners, precision measuring,
torque and reading wiring diagrams. Th ese
skills are not normally tested, but are very
important to the technician’s ability to perform
specifi c tests and proper procedures in the
diagnosis and repair of vehicles.
Electrical systems skills
In all of our competitions, TMC has had multiple
stations that incorporate electrical systems,
including stations such as electrical meters,
trailer lighting, engine electrical, aft ertreatment,
HVAC and electrical circuits. By having diff erent
stations requiring the participants to demonstrate
their electrical and/or use of meter skills,
TMC is able to better understand any potential
trends or areas the competing technicians may
be profi cient or need improvement in.
Th is year we had a station testing for skills
with electrical meters measuring current fl ow
(amperage) and, let’s just say, we blew a lot of
fuses. Some technicians might measure voltage
and resistance/continuity, but current fl ow is
also important to completely understanding
a circuit’s ability to fl ow electricity through
a wire and ensure the wire and circuit can
handle the amperage.
Engine aftertreatment
Aft ertreatment is the topic of many conversations
regarding vehicle maintenance these
days. With that, TMC has ramped up station
involvement in this area. Everyone except for
trailers contestants completed an aft ertreatment
station. We expanded the aft ertreatment
station this year to FutureTech contestants, as
well as the light/medium duty competition. We
plan to continue to increase activities related
to aft ertreatment next year.
Expect aft ertreatment to expand to multiple
stations next year, like we have done with
electrical. By expanding the number of stations
that incorporate aft ertreatment, or other areas
of concern to the industry, we are able to gather
additional data and have a better understanding
of possible gaps in training and the actual
ability of technicians to diagnose and repair
these systems.
In addition, on the gasoline side with the
light/medium duty track, there was a station
called “EVAP” (evaporative emission systems).
Participants were given a vehicle with an
illuminated “Check Engine” light and were
required to diagnose and fi nd the cause of why
the light was on.
Demonstration areas
Th is year we had two demonstration areas.
Th ese stations were designed to gather the
technician’s knowledge and understanding,
or concerns and processes, in either new or
emerging technology. Th ese stations are not
scored as part of the participants’ overall score.
For instance, for the second year,
TMCSuperTech had a cybersecurity station and
continues to see an increase in the role that
What did we learn from
this year’s TMCSuperTech?
A refl ection of the last 14 years as the chair
for the technician skills competition.
By George Arrants
TRAINING CONSULTANT, K&D TECHNICAL
INNOVATIONS
George Arrants is the training consultant for K&D Technical
Innovations. As an automotive education consultant specializing
in National Automotive Technicians Education
Foundation (NATEF)/ASE accreditation, Arrants works with
instructors and administrators to develop partnerships
with local business and industry through program advisory
committees. He chairs the Technology and Maintenance
Council’s TMCSuperTech – the National Technician Skills
Competition – and the TMCFutureTech – the National
Student Technician Competition. His entire career has
been in the automotive service and education industries.
» The TMCSuperTech Technician Skills
Competition has assisted contestants,
their employers and the industry with
an increased knowledge on how to
diagnose and repair vehicles.
Photo courtesy of TMC
» This skills station, at TMCSuperTech 2018,
tested technicians on their ability to use
digital multimeters to measure current flow.
E. Schueller