Arlington, Virginia – Today, American Trucking Associations and ATA’s Technology & Maintenance Council announced they were naming Clifford Roberson, Tyson Foods Inc., as the first Trailer Technician Superstar as part of the inaugural National Technician Appreciation Week.
“Recognizing professional excellence is an important part of what we want National Technician Appreciation Week to be,” said TMC Executive Director Robert Braswell. “Clifford demonstrates that excellence regularly and we are please to honor him with this award.”
For 2020, TMC conducted a new Technician Superstar Program in recognition of the first-ever National Technician Appreciation Week, September 21-25. Companies were encouraged to nominate a person or persons from their organizations who exemplify excellence as a commercial vehicle technician. Winners were selected for three categories: heavy-duty, trailer and light- and medium-duty.
Roberson, of Russellville, Arkansas, has served as a technician for Tyson Foods since May 2002, and was named Team Member of the Year of the Tyson Valley Maintenance Center in 2019. He is considered an exceptionally reliable performer, having achieved six years of perfect attendance as a refrigerated trailer technician for Tyson.
“He is a lifelong mechanic that can and will work on anything. Clifford is currently a reefer tech at Tyson … but will do whatever is asked of him whether it be on a truck, hydraulics on a feed trailer, forklift at any of the local plants, yard trucks, live haul trailers,” said Dustin McKibbin, shop supervisor at Tyson. “To say that Clifford is very knowledgeable would be spot on.”
The Technician Superstar winners will receive a complementary registration to a TMC meeting of their choice and one year’s membership in the Council.