The Fastest Wrench in the North
The air was filled with nervous energy as dozens of truck drivers and mechanics prepared to begin the Ohio Trucking Association’s annual Truck Driving Championships and Technician Competition events at Kalahari Resorts in Sandusky, Ohio during late May.
“I was really nervous going into it,” said Technician Tommy Hoke, who was one of two MPW employees who took part in the Technician Competition. “I really didn’t know what to expect.”
Technicians competing in the Technician Competition take a written test, participate in two hours of education and compete at nine stations designed to test their knowledge of truck maintenance. These stations include belts, brakes, electrical, engine diagnostics, fasteners, HVAC, live engine, PMI, and tire and wheel.
“I think the written test was easier than the actual hands-on test,” Hoke said, adding that there was no way to pre-prepare for the event. “It’s not bad; it’s a lot of reading. Speed is the key to a lot of it, which I’m not a real speedy person,” he said. “They give you 23 minutes to do the test and a lot of these things are 50 questions.” But, despite the challenge, Hoke would return to the competition next year.
Technician Richard McCarty agreed. “It was definitely a learning experience. You can test yourself on your knowledge and what you can do. The time thing’s an issue because I know I take my time to make sure everything is right, but they want to see what you can do right off the bat. Other than the timed experience, it’s all knowledge, and you can’t ever go wrong with that.”
ICG Maintenance Manager Aaron Thompson asked the technicians to join the competition and hopes more MPW technicians and drivers will take part next year. “Through my interaction with the Ohio Trucking Association in my previous role working with transportation safety, I had connected with several members of that organization and came to learn about this technician and driver competition,” he said.
“I thought, what a great way to recognize a top-preforming mechanic; get them and their family up to the resort where they hold the competition and give them an opportunity to showcase their skills, showcase MPW and interact with other mechanics from other organizations,” Thompson said.
Thompson explained that the OTA event basically takes the place of an annual golf outing that ended several years ago. “The golf event was a time for the guys to interact with one another because they were spread out across the country, and it provided them an opportunity to learn from one another and to be rewarded for their hard work,” he said.
“I want all of our mechanics to feel like they are part of something bigger and bring value to the organization,” Thompson said. “It’s a specialized role and they’re part of the backbone of the company. Without our trucks running we cannot generate revenue.”
Thompson said he decided to pursue the OTA competition after a discussion with Monte, where they talked about offering a new annual event that would place an emphasis on safety while rewarding top-performing mechanics. The OTA competition also provides an important team-building quality as each participant contributes their talents to help MPW and each other reach a common goal.
“Post event, I talked to the guys, and they really enjoyed it. They want to attend next year now that they have their feet wet, and they understand the whole process,” Thompson said. “They think they would come out top three or four. I think it’s kind of nerve-racking for anybody to go into something brand new especially when the OTA keeps the process a secret.
“The OTA provides training opportunities there, so I thought it was a win, win, not only for MPW but also for our employees. I want to get more involvement next year and potentially have MPW sponsor it with some of our equipment to be used onsite as a competition resource. So, that’s kind of the vision moving forward,” Thompson said. “It was a great experience.”