World Class Wednesday: Travis Karpf
Earning the title of Automotive Service Excellence World-Class Technician is no small accomplishment. To be recognized as World Class, these individuals have obtained ASE certification in 22 specialty areas: A1-A8 (automotive), T1-T8 (medium/heavy truck), B2-B5 (collision repair), and L1-L2 (advanced).
Not only is achieving certification in these areas impressive, but as of 2026, only 2,000 technicians have achieved World Class status.
In this Q&A, Motor Age sat down with Travis Karpf—an ASE World Class technician at General Motors - working from home in Antigo, Wisconsin—to learn more about his journey in the automotive industry and how gaining World Class status helped advance his career.
Motor Age: Please introduce yourself and tell us about your experience in the automotive industry.
Travis Karpf: I started at a General Motors dealership in 2001. I worked there all the way until the age of 21. I am currently a field service engineer for General Motors. My service territory is Northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula in Michigan. I received my ASE World Class status in 2023.
Motor Age: What's the most memorable repair you've ever completed?
Karpf: Recently, I had a new Chevy Colorado that would not build high fuel pressure from the high-pressure fuel pump.
When I looked at it, I used an oscilloscope and found the low on the exhaust camshaft was pressed on. It spun, causing the fuel pump to be out of time so it could not build pressure. Replacing the exhaust camshaft fixed the problem.
Motor Age: Tell us one thing about you that we can't guess from your certifications.
Karpf: I love being out on the water. I have owned three wakeboard boats within the past six years. I started with an older one and had to fix it up because it had transmission problems. I recently bought a newer one.
Motor Age: What automotive technology trend are you most excited about? Most concerned about?
Karpf: I would say I'm excited about the communication systems on vehicles. They are changing exponentially, making it more challenging to figure out problems.
I think it's important that technicians understand that they can't diagnose a lot of the high-speed networks with the multimeter anymore. You have to go to the oscilloscope. It’s a much better way to find your problem.
Motor Age: How has ASE certification helped advance your career?
Karpf: It has helped me gain knowledge and personal gratification.
About the Author
Emily Kline
Emily Kline is a Special Projects Editor for FenderBender and ABRN. She has worked in the Vehicle Service & Repair Group at Endeavor Business Media for over 3 years, learning about vehicle repair and the automotive industry as a whole. She has a bachelor's degree in English from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota in Winona. As a writer, she enjoys her fair share of reading and has no shame using the long Minnesotan winters as an excuse to stay indoors and cozy up with a good book.