Memphis, Tenn. – Sept. 15, 2026 – FedEx Freight fleet maintenance technicians have dominated the annual competition as FXF techs have been named Grand Champion the last 11 times the company has fielded a team at TMCSuperTech. Last year, Matt Sloan, a senior technician based in Jacksonville, Florida, was named the Grand Champion. Kelby Bentley, a senior technician based in Greensboro, North Carolina, finished second.
Meet the 2026 Competitors
David Newburn
Effingham, Illinois (EFH)
Years with FedEx Freight: 9
Years in the Fleet Maintenance Profession: 14
David is set to make his TMCSuperTech debut after posting a 10th place finish at this year’s Top Wrench competition. This year marked the fifth time David competed at Top Wrench. David’s path into fleet maintenance began when a co-worker encouraged him to apply for a mechanic position despite having no formal training or experience. He learned about TMCSuperTech while working at a previous employer and set a goal of competing one day. David says he has an eye for finding things out of place and most enjoys doing preventative maintenance inspections (PMI). He is an eight-time Safety Award recipient at FedEx Freight.
Drew Dilmuth
Jacksonville, Florida (JAX)
Years with FedEx Freight: 14
Years in the Fleet Maintenance Profession: 26
Drew returns to the TMCSuperTech stage as a competitor in 2026. This marks the fifth year he has participated in FedEx Freight’s internal Top Wrench competition, earning a return trip to TMCSuperTech for the first time since 2014, when he placed sixth overall. He also competed at TMCSuperTech in 2013. Drew began preparing for a career in fleet maintenance through vocational school and automotive technology courses in high school. Participating in Top Wrench and TMCSuperTech has provided him with a platform to learn more about manufacturers’ processes and procedures.
Eric Vos
Boise, Idaho (BSE)
Years with FedEx Freight: 22
Years in the Fleet Maintenance Profession: 21
Eric, the 2015 and 2016 TMCSuperTech Grand Champion, is competing at the national championship for the 12th time in his career. He first advanced to TMCSuperTech in 2006 and has recorded eight Top 10 finishes. In addition to his back-to-back Grand Championship titles, he has finished as national runner-up three times. Eric was inspired by his diesel tech teacher to become a great technician, and his competitive nature led him to participate in Top Wrench and TMCSuperTech. Through his years as a TMCSuperTech competitor, learning from industry partners and studying Recommended Practices manuals, Eric has continued to sharpen his skills as a technician. He most enjoys electrical diagnosis and larger repairs. Eric is a member of the President’s Safety Team.
Jamie Smith
Cincinnati, Ohio (CCI)
Years with FedEx Freight: 26
Years in the Fleet Maintenance Profession: 30
Jamie is competing at TMCSuperTech for the eighth time after recording his fourth straight, Top 10 finish in 2025. Jamie finished sixth last year and had his best individual performance at the championships in 2024, placing fourth. He was part of the team-award winning duo in 2023. He also won the Indiana Technician Championship in 2024. Jamie says the friendships and connections he has built through competition have helped him grow into a much better technician. He most enjoys diagnosing electrical problems. He has maintained a 23-year safety record.
Kelby Bentley
Greensboro, North Carolina (GBO)
Years with FedEx Freight: 12
Years in the Fleet Maintenance Profession: 14
Kelby Bentley, the 2019 TMCSuperTech Grand Champion, is competing for the eighth time this year. He has placed in the Top 10 seven times, including national runner-up finishes in 2018 and last year. He’s also twice been a part of the TMCSuperTech Team Champion award. Kelby is a President’s Safety Award winner. His interest in fleet maintenance was sparked by helping his father, an owner-operator, work on his trucks. Kelby says TMCSuperTech has expanded his knowledge of trucks from bumper to bumper and strengthened his troubleshooting and diagnostic skills. Early in his career, electronic diagnostics were his biggest challenge because diagnosing systems you can’t physically see requires a different way of thinking. He most enjoys troubleshooting the problems no one else can figure out.
Marc Place
Orlando, Florida (ORL)
Years with FedEx Freight: 13
Years in the Fleet Maintenance Profession: 37
Marc is competing in his fourth TMCSuperTech after finishing eighth at Top Wrench earlier this year. His best finish at TMCSuperTech is 10th in 2018 and he last competed at the national event in 2022. Marc began competing to test his knowledge and learning about proper procedures and techniques has made him a better technician. He takes pride in diagnosing and repairing issues that others have been unable to resolve. He has earned a Safety Award in each of his 13 years with FedEx Freight.
Matt Sloan
Jacksonville, Florida (JAX)
Years with FedEx Freight: 17
Years in the Fleet Maintenance Profession: 17
Matt, the 2025 TMCSuperTech Grand Champion, is competing at his 10th national championship. Matt is also a past Florida SuperTech Grand Champion. He says competing at Top Wrench and TMCSuperTech has helped him stay current on the latest industry developments. Matt says his father inspired him to pursue a career in fleet maintenance. Top Wrench teammate Drew Dilmuth convinced him to first compete, and he has now competed at Top Wrench 14 times. He first advanced to TMCSuperTech in 2015 and has qualified each year FedEx Freight has participated since. Matt is a member of the President’s Safety Team.
Mitch Buelow
Fremont, Indiana (FRE)
Years with FedEx Freight: 15
Years in the Fleet Maintenance Profession: 20
Mitch is competing at TMCSuperTech for the fourth time in the last five years and the eighth time in his career. His best finish came in 2023 when he placed seventh. Turning a wrench at other employers led Mitch to a better opportunity at FedEx Freight and he first began competing soon after joining the team. His first time competing at TMCSuperTech came in 2012. He began competing to become a more knowledgeable technician, and the experience has strengthened every aspect of his day-to-day work by helping him stay current on new equipment, features, and software. He says multiplex wiring systems are among the most challenging tasks because repairs often require advanced diagnostic skills rather than traditional mechanical work.
Philip Barlow
Jacksonville, Florida (JAX)
Years with FedEx Freight: 12
Years in the Fleet Maintenance Profession: 24
Philip Barlow is competing at TMCSuperTech for the 10th time. He won TMCSuperTech’s Medium/Light Duty class in both 2022 and 2023. Philip returned to the Heavy-Duty Track in 2024 and had his highest finish in the class, placing fourth. He placed seventh last year at the national championships and joined forces with John Blanchet for the Team Champion award. Watching his father work on bulldozers, tractors, Jeeps, and trucks inspired Philip to pursue a career in fleet maintenance. Philip says that he’s become a better technician through competing at TMCSuperTech, sharpening his skills and providing an opportunity to learn new things about the fleet maintenance field, especially since he didn’t attend a school for the profession. He says wiring repairs are among the most challenging because problems can be hidden in hard-to-access areas.
Wes Salley
Austin, Texas (AUS)
Years with FedEx Freight: 6
Years in the Fleet Maintenance Profession: 19
Wes returns to TMCSuperTech for the first time since 2023 when he finished second in the Heavy-Duty Track and helped lead Team FedEx Freight to a podium sweep of first, second, and third place. This year marks the third time Wes is competing at TMCSuperTech. He earned first place at the Texas Trucking Association’s Technician of the Year competition in May, qualifying him to compete for the Champion of States Award at TMCSuperTech. Wes’ competitive spirit led him to begin competing. This year marked his sixth appearance at Top Wrench. He most enjoys performing electrical and engine diagnosis.
FutureTech
Jake Faulkner
York, Pennsylvania (YRK)
Years with FedEx Freight: 1
Years in the Fleet Maintenance Profession: 1
Jake has been with FedEx Freight for less than a year and signed up to compete at FutureTech to gain additional experience and challenge himself. Both his father and grandfather encouraged him to begin a career in fleet maintenance. During his first months in the profession, he found electrical repairs the most challenging because there is always something new to learn.
Nicholas (Clay) Clay
Baton Rouge, Louisiana (BTR)
Years with FedEx Freight: 1
Years in the Fleet Maintenance Profession: 1
Clay is in his first year at FedEx Freight and this marks the first time he has competed in Top Wrench and FutureTech. He was encouraged by former TMCSuperTech competitor and fleet maintenance manager Mark Galliand to compete. Clay says computer diagnostics have been the most challenging aspect of the job so far because of the depth of knowledge required. Seeing something broken and helping return it to service is one of the most rewarding parts of his job.