Behind the wheel of every truck is its driver, yet beneath the hood of every truck is its technician. Technicians are the often unseen – and unsung – heroes without whom trucks wouldn’t run as well or as long. Schneider knows that if trucks stop running, loads can’t be delivered and the economy suffers. The premier provider of transportation and logistics celebrates its maintenance crew with the Technician Skills Competition, a contest designed to reward top technicians and work towards continuous improvement of equipment and processes.
Since 1992, technicians have been participating in the Technician Skills Competition, which begins locally across Schneider’s 28 shop facilities enterprise-wide. Schneider creates specific audits that focus on different areas of repair, which all technicians participate in at their local shops. Technicians are graded and scored based on proper repair diagnosis, and the top technicians compete for recognition and prizes.
This year’s Technician Skills Competition took place on June 24-26 at the Freightliner training center in Cleveland, N.C. Freightliner, Schneider’s primary tractor manufacturer, not only allows access to its training rooms and maintenance bays to perform the events, but also offers giveaways, like custom jackets for all participants. Typically, the contest consists of one day of competition and one day of team building, which has included activities like attending a popular NASCAR race and tours of local team shops.
“Maintenance associates play a vital role in the success of our company,” said Rob Reich, Schneider’s senior vice president of equipment, maintenance and driver recruiting. “A core principle is to provide them what they need to get the job done right. The Technician Skills Competition is just one way we ensure they have the support, resources and respect they have earned and deserve.”
While the sense of pride that comes with winning the Technician Skills Competition is incredibly rewarding, the top finishers take home monetary prizes too. First place winners in both the tractor and trailer competitions each received $5,000. Of those two winners, the one with the highest score also received a grand prize all-expense-paid trip to Florida. Second and third place winners took home monetary prizes as well. This year’s champions include, Aldolfo Guevara, a prior winner, and Mike Hryndej.
In addition to recognizing Schneider’s valued professionals, the Technician Skills Competition also serves another purpose: continuous improvement for the company and its suppliers. Schneider compares the results of the audits across maintenance centers, looking for critical trends that are in need of improvement and help identify training opportunities. Ultimately, these discoveries lead to equipment and process advancements.
