Jeffress Warns of Technician Shortage, Asks State Associations to Help Recruit

March 25, 2004 7:00 AM, EST

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ike Jeffress, the newly elected chairman of the Technology & Maintenance Council, said there is a nationwide shortage of qualified technicians and he wants TMC, a council of American Trucking Associations, to form alliances with state maintenance groups to do something about it.

In an interview with Transport Topics last month, Jeffress also underscored the importance of Fleetportal.com, TMC’s new Web site for parts, service and maintenance information that the group was scheduled to unveil at its annual meeting March 15-19 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“The technicians that are hired from vocational schools or colleges meet most fleet maintenance programs’ general needs, but finding repair facilities — whether dealerships or independents — that have technicians around the clock to repair modern technology issues remains challenging,” said Jeffress, vice president of maintenance at flatbed hauler Maverick Transportation.

For the full story, see the March 22 edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.

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