Arkansas Trucking Association

ATA calls for technician scholarship applications

For the fourth consecutive year, the Arkansas Trucking Association plans to award scholarships of up to $7,500 to students interested in pursuing a career as a medium and heavy duty truck technician. Scholarship applications are being accepted now through April 2, 2021.

ATA established the Carl Tapp Memorial Scholarship Fund in 2017 to encourage growth in the state’s technician workforce and to help assure that the safest, most knowledgeable and skilled technicians are working on the trucks and trailers on our nation’s roads.

“Our industry needs more talented technicians, and we are happy to offer this scholarship that will do more than simply provide necessary training; it will unlock a career path for students,” said Shannon Newton, ATA president. “Truck technicians are responsible for ensuring the complex equipment that carries freight on our highways arrives safely to its destination. We are proud to offer this scholarship to train the next generation of technical experts.”

Applicants must be graduating seniors from accredited high schools. Scholarships of up to $7,500 will be awarded for students attending a minimum two-semester medium and heavy duty truck technician program at an Arkansas institution.

In 2016, ATA’s Maintenance & Technology Council Committee formed the Technician Curriculum Advisory Committee to partner with educational institutions around the state to help shape programs that will provide a skilled labor force now and into the future. Just a year later, the Advisory Committee formed the Carl Tapp Memorial Scholarship Fund to encourage young bright minds to pursue a career path as technicians in the trucking industry.

The scholarship is named for the late Carl Tapp, the Council’s first chairman, who was known for recognizing and empowering talent in the next generation of technicians.

“Carl played a major role in our industry and touched so many lives,” said Tapp’s former colleague Kenneth Calhoun, fleet optimization manager at Altec. “We honor his legacy by supporting technician students financially, and by recruiting new talent to the field, we hope to make the workforce stronger and more sustainable.”

Applications will be accepted through April 2, 2021, for students beginning coursework in August 2021 or January 2022, based on individual program requirements. ATA plans to name 2021 recipients by May 14. Contact Sarah Newman (sarahnewman@arkansastrucking.com) for more information about the Scholarship Fund, and find the application at www.arkansastrucking.com/tech-scholarship.

About the Arkansas Trucking Association: Since 1932, the Arkansas Trucking Association (ATA) has served as the voice of the trucking industry, promoting the vitality of this industry on which nearly 87 percent of Arkansas communities exclusively rely to move their goods. Made up of approximately 300 trucking and service companies, ATA helps members grow their business and profits while protecting the collective interests of trucking companies in the political and regulatory arenas. For more information, visit arkansastrucking.com.