Held in Frisco, Texas, the three-day conference is recognized as the nation’s largest instructor training event for automotive, medium and heavy truck, and collision repair educators. Instructors from high schools, community colleges, and trade schools attended technical training sessions while connecting with manufacturers, suppliers, and industry organizations.

Conference Delivers More Than 20 Hours of Technical Training

ASE said the conference included more than 20 hours of technical update training covering current repair procedures, emerging vehicle technologies, and instructional practices.

Separate learning tracks were available for automotive, medium and heavy truck, and collision repair instructors, allowing participants to complete training relevant to their programs while also meeting ASE Education Foundation accreditation requirements.

According to ASE President and CEO Dave Johnson, investing in instructors ultimately benefits students by helping educators return to the classroom with current technical knowledge, new teaching resources, and stronger industry connections.

Technician Shortage Remained a Key Topic

One of the conference’s featured sessions examined the industry’s ongoing technician shortage following recent comments from Ford CEO Jim Farley describing the issue as one of the industry’s biggest workforce challenges.

The presentation, titled Filling the Farley Gap: Addressing the Technician Pipeline, explored research from several industry studies, including surveys conducted by IMR Inc., the ASE Education Foundation, ASE Connects, and the ATMC Training Benchmark Survey. The discussion focused on the factors influencing technician recruitment and the importance of strengthening the education pipeline.

Industry Partners Support Technical Education

Manufacturers, suppliers, and other industry organizations participated throughout the conference by providing technical demonstrations, product training, and educational resources that reflected the equipment and technologies technicians are likely to encounter in today’s repair facilities.

ASE said those partnerships help strengthen the connection between classrooms and employers while giving instructors additional resources they can incorporate into their training programs.

The organization also announced that the 2027 ASE Instructor Training Conference is scheduled for July 19 through July 22 in Phoenix, Arizona, with registration expected to open in early 2027.

The TDUSA editorial team creates practical, driver-focused content covering trucking news, industry updates, safety, regulations, and career information for professional truck drivers across the United States. Each article is built to reflect real-world experience, industry developments, and information drivers can use on and off the road.

Last Updated: August 3, 2026

Source: The Trucker

Image Source: ASE

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