DTNA announces winners of technician skills competition

Joe Speelman

Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) recently named Joe Speelman and Kyle Ballard the winners of its 2019 Technician Skills Competition.

Twelve technicians participated in the final round, which took place at DTNA’s Portland, Ore., headquarters. The hands-on competition tested technicians’ ability to diagnose and repair DTNA’s range of products, including the Freightliner Cascadia, new Cascadia, Detroit heavy-duty engines and the Detroit DT12 automated manual transmission.

Kyle Ballard

Joe Speelman of Western Idaho Freightliner, Nampa, Idaho, was the Vehicle Competition winner, while Kyle Ballard of Clark Power Services, Charlotte, N.C., was the winner of the Engine Competition.

“Congratulations to Joe and Kyle, and to all of the technicians who participated in this tough program. Our Technician Skills Competition demonstrates the deep level of knowledge and quality all of our technicians possess,” says Paul Romanaggi, DTNA chief customer experience officer. “The technicians, as well as everyone in our service network, are integral to our mission to deliver a superior experience to our customers by providing the highest level of diagnostics and service.”

With a service network spanning across the U.S. and Canada, DTNA and its affiliated service locations invest more than $20 million in technician training and development annually, the company says. Some of the programs and initiatives include:

Get Ahead Program: A partnership program between DTNA, technical schools and DTNA service network locations that provides students free access to web-based training materials, service literature and diagnostic link licenses.

Finish First: A 12-week, hands-on training program offered at select Universal Technical Institute campuses. Students earn certifications for Freightliner and Western Star trucks and Detroit engines. Students also can apply for scholarships to the Finish First program through DTNA’s TechForce Foundation.

MasterTech Recognition Program: This program recognizes and rewards technicians who go above and beyond in the pursuit of providing an unsurpassed customer experience.