On Thursday, August 1, we completed our seventh annual Top Technician Competition. Out of the 10 competitors, Keith Nejedlo of Madison, WI, took home first place. Keith earned $5,000 and a trip to represent Ruan in Raleigh, NC, at the Technology and Maintenance Council (TMC) SuperTech competition.
“We are proud of the technical expertise demonstrated by our technicians and those valuable skills are the foundation of our excellence.” said our Vice President of Maintenance Operations, Lance Cheney. “This year, in addition to recognizing those skills to reach the top 10, consideration was given to individuals that can adapt, inspire, and are positive team members. This group was a terrific representation of these attributes and a pleasure to be associated with.”
Jacob Grayson of Smyrna, TN, placed second, and Brandon Crews of Cedartown, GA, finished third. Both won a cash prize and a place at the SuperTech competition as well.
(L to R): Brandon Crews, Keith Nejedlo, Jacob Grayson
The event began with Ruan technicians completing a 100-question online assessment to test a range of maintenance knowledge. The 10 technicians who earned the highest scores from the assessment moved on to the hands-on portion of the competition held in Ankeny, IA, at the Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC). The hands-on portion consisted of the following 11 skills stations:
- Wheel Ends
- Steering/Suspension
- Brakes
- DOT Inspections
- OEM Software
- System Diagnostics
- Fifth Wheels
- Service Information
- Tires and Wheels
- Heavy Duty Vehicle Fluids
- Starting and Charging Systems
“Each day, our technicians work hard to diagnose and repair Ruan equipment all over the country. They are critical to ensuring our drivers are able to operate safe and reliable equipment to service our customers.” said Maintenance Operations Leader, Ben Steines. “I'm extremely proud of all of the technicians that competed in the competition and wish them the best of luck at TMC SuperTech Competition. Thank you for all you do!”
(L to R): Matthew Daughtry, Keith Nejedlo, Jacob Grayson, Matthew Schmid, Aaron Bomar, James Coco, Brandon Crews, Mitchell Shoppa, Shawn Allshouse, and Hector Gonzalez,
Great job competitors! Thank you for all your hard work and dedication to keeping our equipment running safely. We look forward to next year’s competition!