TCC grad proud to do his part to keep truckers on the road

Tyler Bray found his passion while working on his Chevy Silverado.

“I was trying to figure out career options when my dad encouraged me to work with him on my truck,” Bray said.

Bray’s hobby took him in a new direction when he started taking classes at TCC.

His first goal was to earn a welding certificate, which he completed in a couple of semesters. After that, he set his sights on an Associate of Applied Science with a Specialization in Medium/Heavy Truck Service Technician, which he earned in May 2021 with a 3.9 GPA.

Bray, 23, was hired and completed his cooperative training hours as a diesel technician at Norfolk Truck Center.

“I’m very impressed with Tyler’s work. He handles every job given to him with accuracy and in a timely manner,” said A.J. Ross, the assistant service manager at Norfolk Truck Center. “Overall, Tyler is doing a very good job for us.”

The Grassfield High grad says that while working full-time and going to school was sometimes challenging it was “absolutely worth it.”

He credits TCC instructor John Bishop with training him for the varied tasks he’d find on the job. “Bishop was the best instructor I ever had. He got us involved in the learning, answered questions and knew how to get the information into our heads,” Bray said.

While at TCC Bray earned several industry credentials including Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) 609 that deals with Refrigerant, Recovery and Recycling; the Bendix Air Brakes certification; and Stemco DOT Brake Card.

“I had a great time at TCC and liked the smaller classes. Our instructors were hands-on and able to help every student.”

Bray is one test away from earning his State Inspector license.

“I’m very proud to be working here,” Bray said. “Going through the program I had days when I doubted myself, but I gained the confidence at TCC to tackle anything.”