After two rounds of fierce competition, the 2nd Annual TCI Tech Challenge competition yielded a new champion.
Truck Centers, Inc. launched the competition in 2010 to highlight the knowledge and professional skills of the service technicians that consistently deliver premier service to our customers throughout Illinois and Missouri.
James Krikie, an 11-year veteran of TCI-Mt. Vernon, secured top honors and a $3,500 cash prize during the recent hands-on finale at the company’s state-of-the-art Training Center in Troy, IL. Krikie’s consistent performance at all workstations and a lightening speed diagnosis at the Engine Wiring/Fault Code Station presented by Freightliner that stumped many competitors solidified his first place ranking.
Krikie cultivated his technical skills while serving our country in the U.S. Army and worked at another dealership in Texas before joining Truck Centers, said company officials, who praised him for his diagnostic ability, advanced skills and superior productivity with minimal comebacks.
In all, 60 technicians from five Truck Centers service departments vied for top honors in the competition that tested the participants’ abilities in common diagnostic problems and basic Class 7 and 8 truck repairs, as well as advanced topics relating to Daimler Trucks of North America products, including Freightliner and Western Star trucks and Detroit Diesel engines with a 150-question written examination.
The ten technicians with the highest cumulative written scores then gathered at Truck Centers’ Training Center for the final round of hands-on skills competition in five modules that included Engine Wiring/Fault Codes, Literature/Access Freightliner Resources, Chassis Wiring, Wheel End/Brake Systems and Engine Mechanics.
The finalists were graded on procedures, diagnostic processes and thorough repair of the issue in timed exercises for a composite score at each station.
In addition to the recognition of their abilities, participants were competing for nearly $8,000 in cash prizes.
“The Tech Challenge Competition was created to highlight the skills and professional training that our technicians bring to the Truck Centers’ network of dealerships,” said Katie Hopkins, executive vice president. “Their talents are what help us consistently deliver superior customer service and minimal downtime to our customers.
“The fact that all of our full-service dealerships were represented in the final round indicates the consistency and quality that we strive to deliver with every visit.”
