Rush names winners of virtual technician skills competition

Rush Enterprises hosted their 15th annual Tech Skills Rodeo competition as a virtual event due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Rush awarded $265,000 to winners this year, surpassing a total of $2.25 million since the competition began in 2006.

The Tech Skills Rodeo had 1,726 Rush employees take 3,733 tests to qualify; the competition was eventually narrowed to 157 competitors. Participants completed 212 hours of total testing over a four-day period.

The categories of the Tech Skills Rodeo are: Truck Sales Division, Aftermarket Sales Division, Parts Division, Rising Star Division, Collision Center Division, Medium Duty Service Division, Heavy Duty Service Division, and All-Around Grand Champion.

All-Around Grand Champion

This year’s Rush Enterprises Tech Skills Rodeo All-Around Grand Champion is Travis Graham out of Rush Truck Center – Orlando. Graham received 1st place in the Medium Duty Service Division, Peterbilt, then was named Medium Duty Grand Champion. Graham was awarded a signed Clint Boyer (driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers Ford Mustang (2017-2020)) racing helmet, along with an additional $5,000 cash prize – bringing Graham’s total winnings for the competition to $19,000.

Truck Sales Division

Competitors in the Truck Sales Division submitted a 12-minute sales walk-around video in which they had to sell benefits as well as display vehicle expertise and Rush business expertise including parts, service, collision centers, and financing. The winners of the Truck Sales Division were awarded a $5,000 cash prize. The winners are:

Ford, Eric Juengling, Rush Truck Center – Cincinnati
Hino, Brad Munchrath, Rush Truck Center – Dallas Medium Duty
Isuzu, Steven Nace, Rush Truck Center – Smyrna
International Medium Duty, Jay Rickman, Rush Truck Center – Doraville
Peterbilt Medium Duty, Eric Matteson, Rush Truck Center – Fontana Medium Duty

This was Matteson’s second year in the finals, and he said that, “It feels good to finally bring it home.”

International Heavy Duty, Zach Cygan, Rush Truck Center – St. Peters
Peterbilt Heavy Duty, Kyle Smith, Rush Truck Center – Fort Worth

Aftermarket Sales Division

Rush’s top 20 aftermarket sales representatives with the most growth over 2019 competed and six finalists moved on to the finale. Competitors were given sales materials from the company’s manufacturer partners and one week’s time to study. The competitors were pitted in a “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?”-styled game, aptly titled “Who Wants to be a Grand Champion?” Two other rounds of testing covered the RushCare portfolio and the company’s history. The Reserve Champion was awarded a $3,000 cash prize and the Grand Champion was awarded a $5,000 cash prize. The winners of the Aftermarket Sales Division are:

Reserve Champion

Steven Reed, Rush Truck Center – Cleveland

Grand Champion

Michael Box, Rush Truck Center – Lubbock

Box is a two-time Grand Champion in the Aftermarket Sales Division

Parts Division

Contestants in the Parts Division competition began with a written test and verbal questions from a moderator. Round two of the competition featured another written test, followed by a game of “Jeopardy” where contestants answered questions on truck parts, vendor products, and Rush inventory. For each category, second place was awarded a $3,500 cash prize and first place was awarded a $5,000 cash prize. The Reserve Champion of the Parts Division was awarded an additional $4,000 cash prize and the Parts Division Grand Champion received an additional $6,500 cash prize. The winners of the Parts Division are:

Ford parts

2nd place, Robbie Brown, Rush Truck Center – Oklahoma
1st place, Tim Howard, Rush Truck Center – Las Vegas

Hino parts

2nd place, Shivniel Maharaj, Rush Truck Center – Fontana Medium Duty
1st place, Aaron Van Straten, Rush Truck Center – Houston Medium Duty

Isuzu parts

2nd place, Matthew Turpin, Rush Truck Center – Smyrna
1st place, John OBrian, Rush Truck Center – Orlando South

International parts

2nd place, John Whaley, Rush Truck Center – Dayton
1st place, Jason Woods, Rush Truck Center – Bloomington

Woods said that the competition was, “A lot less nerve-racking than last year,” speaking to the virtual platform.

Paccar parts

2nd place, Marco Serrano, Rush Truck Center – Oklahoma

Serrano stated that he will be taking his wife on a shopping trip with the winnings!

1st place, Chris Klansky, Rush Truck Center – Greely

Reserve Champion

Tim Howard, Rush Truck Center – Las Vegas

When asked how he will enjoy his winnings, Howard responded, “Christmas is going to be good this year!”

Grand Champion

Chris Klansky, Rush Truck Center – Greely

Rising Star Division

The Rising Star competition featured Level 1 and 2 technicians with no more than two years in the industry. Competitors used Diesel Laptops devices and were tested on general knowledge items and common daily tasks, followed by the completion of an 85-question written test within an hour. The winners of the Rising Star Division are:

3rd place, Devin Vogle, Rush Truck Center – Doraville. Vogle received a $1,000 cash prize.
2nd place, Michael Groomes, Rush Truck Center – Albuquerque. Groomes received a $2,000 cash prize.
1st place, Samuel Jakubauskas, Rush Truck Center – Denver. Jakubauskas received a $3,000 cash prize.

Collision Center

The Collision Center Division was broken down into two separate categories: Body Repair and Body Paint. The Body Repair competitors were shipped a damaged piece which they had to repair and ship back for evaluation. Body Paint competitors were shipped a Go-Kart truck and had to paint the entire body. The Go-Karts were shipped back for judging. Second-place winners received a $3,500 cash prize and first-place winners received a $5,000 cash prize. The winners of the Collision Center Division are:

Body Repair

2nd place, Austin Sandoval, Rush Truck Center – Salt Lake City
1st place, Marcus Silva, Rush Truck Center – San Antonio

Body Paint

2nd place, Christopher Hooks, Rush Truck Center – Lufkin
1st place, Daniel Garcia Gonzalez, Rush Truck Center – Salt Lake City

Medium Duty Service and Heavy Duty Service Divisions

Competitors in the Medium Duty Service and Heavy Duty Service Divisions completed a 45-minute test featuring written and verbal questions specific to each category. A second round of the competition featured a 90-minute test on Peterbilt and International vehicle service. A third round of the competition featured highly detailed questions on all truck manufacturers represented through Rush Enterprises in another “Who Wants to be a Grand Champion?” game. Second-place finishers were awarded a $3,500 cash prize and first-place finishers were awarded a $6,500 cash prize. The Reserve Champion received an additional $5,000 cash and the Grand Champion received an additional $7,500 cash. The winners of the Medium Duty Service and Heavy Duty Service Divisions are:

Medium Duty Service Division

Allison Transmission

2nd place, Jason Vasquez, Rush Truck Center – Austin
1st place, Jason Timmons, Rush Truck Center – Albuquerque

Ford

2nd place, Bryon Eyre, Rush Truck Center – Dallas Light and Medium Duty
1st place, Joe Walsh, Rush Truck Center – Orlando Light and Medium Duty

Hino

2nd place, Steven Brain, Rush Truck Center – Dallas Medium Duty
1st place, Roberto Ochoa, Rush Truck Center – Fontana Medium Duty

Isuzu

2nd place, Scott Torres, Rush Truck Center – Fontana Medium Duty
1st place, Rick Nonamaker, Rush Truck Center – Waco

International

2nd place, Jose Gonzalez, Rush Truck Center – Joliet
1st place, Joseph Behrend, Rush Truck Center – Idaho Falls

Peterbilt

2nd place, Mark Jones, Rush Truck Center – Denver
1st place, Travis Graham, Rush Truck Center – Orlando

Reserve Champion

Mark Jones, Rush Truck Center – Denver

Grand Champion

Travis Graham, Rush Truck Center – Orlando

Heavy Duty Service Division

Alternative Fuels

2nd place, Frank Lake, Rush Truck Center – Colorado Springs

Lake stated that a portion of his winnings will be donated to a local Humane Society.

1st place Jorge Alverez, Rush Truck Center – Houston

Vocational

2nd place Rex Schulte, Custom Vehicle Solution – Denton
1st place Travis Webster, Rush Truck Center – Houston

Cummins

2nd place, Nathaniel Brill, Rush Truck Center – Mobile
1st place, Raymond Jesse, Rush Truck Center – Tulsa

Eaton

2nd place, Paul Serr, Rush Truck Center – Denver
1st place, Jason Swann, Rush Truck Center – Dallas

Navistar Engine

2nd place, Jon Steckman, Rush Truck Center – Columbus, Ohio
1st place, Tim Kelley, Rush Truck Center – Smyrna

Paccar MX

2nd place, Alex Haberkorn, Rush Truck Center – Colorado Springs
1st place, Jared Little, Rush Truck Center – Dallas

Reserve Champion

Jon Steckman, Rush Truck Center – Columbus, Ohio

Grand Champion

Alex Haberkorn, Rush Truck Center – Colorado Springs

Haberkorn credited his success to his career path beginning with a Navistar background and later transitioning to a Paccar dealership. Haberkorn was also a finalist for the All-Around Grand Champion.

Congratulations to all the Tech Skills Rodeo competitors and winners!