Overall, 350 of Rust Truck Centers’ 800 technicians took part in the company’s 5th Annual Rush Truck Centers Tech Skills Rodeo, held last week in San Antonio, TX.
The event is an intense competition wherein technicians from Rush Truck Center’s 59 truck centers in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, North Carolina, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Utah, test their skill level against one another.
The Tech Skills Rodeo also exposes technicians to the latest updates from the company’s suppliers, plus allows them to visit displays and exhibits. On hand this year were Paccar ME Engine, Mobile One and Beyer Racing touring rigs, and propane-powered buses.
This year’s event is the biggest so far, and included new makes of trucks for hands-on testing, plus more participating suppliers.
To qualify for the Rush Truck Centers Tech Skills Rodeo, Rush technicians must complete required training throughout the year, then take written examinations. The top technicians qualify to go to San Antonio for the hands-on portion of the Skills Rodeo.
This year, the competition had five divisions: Caterpillar, Cummins and Eaton (Heavy Duty); Medium Duty and Refuse - new this year.
The qualifying technicians compete for the 15 finalists spots. The finals determine the top techs, who will receive prizes, cash - up to $8,000 per individual - and a bump up in their hourly pay of up to $1.50.
One of the things that makes the Rush Truck Centers Tech Skills Rodeo unique is that it involves more than just diagnostics. It is diagnostics plus repair, and all within 45 minutes.
Named the All Around Grand Champion - Medium Duty was Mathew Pogue of Rush Truck Center, San Antonio. Chris Zweifel, EL Paso, was the All Around Grand Champion - Heavy Duty.
In addition to winning additional prizes and cash, they and their wives received a free vacation to the Grand Cayman Islands.
Tech Skills Rodeo division winners were:
Refuse - First place: Alan Phillips, Pico Rivera; second place: Nathan Buffington, Phoenix; third place: Travis Webster, Houston.
Medium Duty - First place: Mathew Pogue of Rush Truck Center, San Antonio; second place: Gabriel Benavides, Phoenix; third place: James Glover, Houston.
Caterpillar - First place: Erick Lincoln, Albuquerque; second place: Chris Zweifer, El Paso; third place: Jason Morris, Flagstaff.Cummins - First place: James Collins, Ft, Worth; second place: Ted Mazurkiewicz, Pico Rivera; third place: Shawn Thorton, Alice.
Eaton - First place: Brian Noska, Sealy; second place: Jason Swann, Dallas; third place: Chris Jensen, Houston.
All Around Winner - Heavy Duty - Second place: Jason Morris, Flagstaff; third place: Erick Lincoln, Albuquerque.
All Around Winner - Medium Duty - Second place: James Glover, Houston; third place: Gabriel Benavides, Phoenix.
Also part of this year’s Rush Truck Centers Tech Skills Rodeo was the Fastest Hands at the Rodeo competition, put on by Jost International. The competition was to determine the technician who could do a mock rebuild of the locking mechanism on a stand-mounted Jost fifth wheel.
Jerry Carpenter of Charlotte International won $500 for the fastest time of 1 minute 30 seconds.
In passing out the awards to his Rush Truck Centers Tech Skills Rodeo champions, W. M. “Rusty” Rush, president and CEO of Rush Enterprises, of which Rush Truck Centers is a subsidiary, noted just how important technicians are to the continuing growth and success the dealerships.
“Thank you for being a part of our family,” he said. “We don’t have a chance to say thank you often enough. The heartbeat of our dealerships is all that you technicians do.”
