Rush Enterprises’ annual Tech Skills Rodeo is beloved within the Rush Truck Center technician community.
The Rodeo’s consistently impressive haul of monetary awards and prizes earn the event some of its adulation, but in chatting with several technicians at the 13th annual event Monday in San Antonio, it’s clear that for a lot of them, the networking among colleagues and with suppliers is sometimes as rewarding and valuable as the trophies and free TVs.
The Rush Tech Skills Rodeo isn’t about winning, it’s about making everyone in the company better.
Rush Truck Center – Orlando Technician Phil Call is competing in the Tech Skills Rodeo for the third time in four years since joining the company. Competing the Alternative Fuels contest, Call said while he enjoys competing against his fellow natural gas pros, the Tech Skills Rodeo also offers him the chance to literally talk shop with those contemporaries about common service events and best practices for tricky repairs that are popping up in the field. Conversations he has in December often help him throughout the following year.
“I get calls from other technicians and I’ll call them as well when I have problems in the field,” said Call, who serves as a mobile service technician. He added being a good tech “is not just about knowing the right answers but also knowing where to find the right answers.”
Rush Truck Center – San Antonio Technician William Bodin said he enjoys interacting with his fellow competitors and the supplier judges. Regarding the latter, because Rush Enterprises allows its supplier partners to design and administer the tests related to their products, Bodin (who also is competing in Alternative Fuels) said he enjoys working on equipment while a subject matter expert stands just a couple feet away.
“I think that is a huge benefit for the guys who come to work for Rush,” he said. “You can come here and have these experiences.”
