The top technicians from Rush Truck Centers across North America converged on San Antonio, Texas, in December for the 19^th Annual Rush Tech Skills Rodeo. The event lets techs vie for top honors and big prizes, but more importantly it motivates them to rise to the top of their game and gives them time to meet their peers.

During the opening night’s events, Jody Pollard, senior vice president, truck sales and aftermarket sales, welcomed all and provided a little insight about the rodeo. It started 19 years ago in Nashville, at Rush Truck Centers in Smyrna, Tennessee. There were only 40 contestants, 80 people in attendance, and Rush gave away $40,000. 

Moving forward, in 2024 there were far more competitors and more categories than the first rodeo, and 900 people attended the awards night. Another key difference now, in 2024, was more than $310,000 in cash and prizes were awarded. The 2024 awards propelled Rush past the $3 million mark in prizes and awards presented to employees during the Rush Tech Skills Rodeo over the 19-year history of the event.

The technicians’ learning extends past just the challenge of competing. When techs are not competing, they attend supplier classroom trainings and visit the trade show to see the latest offerings from a wide array of vendors and sponsors.

“I don't know of another event that is quite as comprehensive and impressive. I've attended many in the industry, but nothing like the one we put together. And quite honestly, it makes me proud to be a part of this organization,” said Victor Cummings, vice president of service operations at Rush Enterprises.

This year, 3,250 employees registered to take the qualifier tests, including,2,400 service and body shop employees, and took 4,000 written exams. When time for the Rush Tech Skills Rodeo arrived, 204 parts, service, and body shop finalists had made the cut and earned the trip to San Antonio. Plus 21 truck sales finalists competed, as did 20 aftermarket sales reps.

“There are times where the grand champion will not make it the following year,” said Cummings. That was the case this year, when last year’s grand champion missed qualifying by just a single point. “They change the tests, change the content behind the testing. It's challenging each year, and it really proves to be a truly competitive event.”

Even though the competition originally began as an event for technicians, it has grown to include other positions from Rush Truck Centers such as parts, aftermarket parts, and truck sales. The multiple-day event is not just for the competitors, but guests such as spouses as well.

“The feedback is consistent, especially when you speak to their guests. When they see what’s happening, it has the shock and awe factor and then of course there’s always the main event when we have the awards banquet on Tuesday night,” Cummings added.

When the scores are tallied and time comes for the final-night award dinner, it is done Texas-styled with music, lights, smoke, and excitement as the top winners run to the stage and accept awards from Rusty Rush, chairman, president, and CEO of Rush Enterprises.

“Rusty has that rock star effect, he has a huge level of charisma,” Cummings explained.

Solving Problems & Demonstrating Understanding

In the technician competition, whether working on medium- or heavy-duty trucks, the vehicles are bugged with some problem that the competitors need to diagnose and repair. But it is not really that simple. There is more.

Within a 45-minute time limit each tech must pinpoint the issue, but it is crucial to follow the proper steps in the manufacturer’s process for diagnostics and repair.

There are multiple opportunities when a technician can, just from experience, know or assume what the problem might be. But as technical as equipment is today, there are troubleshooting steps that are required to ensure that nothing is misdiagnosed, Cummings explained.

“It's important that we follow those steps, it's a warranty requirement. There's good reason for it, and that's what our OEs want to know, that we're genuinely committed to the process, the proper steps of diagnosing the failure and completing the repair,” Cummings said. “And sometimes in the triage process, when you're working through those steps, there are downstream effects and you may not catch the complete extent of the failure if you don't follow the proper diagnostic procedures.”

Plus, techs must explain every step they take and why.

Judges often, while giving instructions before competitors start, sum it up as “Pretend I am the new guy in the shop, and you have to teach me and explain everything you are doing.”

With that, the competition becomes more than just who can make the proper repair the fastest. They must truly prove they know their trade.

“It shows the depth in the complete understanding of it. You can't say you really understand something unless you're able to explain it and teach it,” said Joel Duck, director of tech school engagement and retention at Rush Enterprises.

Technicians Build Peer-to Peer Relationships

The event brings together technicians from across the Rush footprint and new bonds are formed, especially among the competitors who have attended for multiple years.

“You're able to form a bond and they feel comfortable picking up the phone to call you. They can speak to someone if they have a concern or a question or need some help with something at their dealership,” Duck said.

“Last night I actually had a conversation with two of our returning technicians, Glenn Boothe from our Nashville dealership, and Chris Pursell from our Atlanta dealership. One's Peterbilt, one's International. And they were commenting that they've met each other out here, have had conversations, networked followed up, and said, “It’s really a lot of fun, and we really appreciate the opportunity to meet our peers’,” Cummings shared.

All-Around Grand Champion: Christopher Purcell

Christopher Purcell, of Rush Truck Centers in Atlanta, Georgia, claimed top honors for the entire event as All Around Grand Champion. Along the way, he also clinched Grand Champion for Medium-Duty, International.

He is a seven-time competitor, and previous grand champion but explained that previous win differed greatly since it was during COVID-19 and the entire event was held in a virtual format.

He encourages other technicians to take their shot at making the cut and reaching the Rush Rodeo.

“You’ve got to take the test. I mean, there’s now way you can get here without it, and it doesn’t cost you anything to take it,” Purcell said.

Even with his extensive experience as a finalist, Purcell said nothing is guaranteed and the tests change every year.

“The thing is, it's different every year, so really there’s no way to improve other than to try to stay calm and keep the nerves to a minimum,” Purcell said.

“I love fixing trucks, getting them back on the road, but I do a lot of mentoring with younger techs, so helping other people out is nice,” he added.

He has worked on medium- and heavy-duty trucks for 25 years, first with another company which along the way was bought by Rush Enterprises. His winnings this year totaled $18,500 in cash and prizes.

Purcell’s advice to new fleet technicians: “Stick with your training, follow your mentors and always strive to be the best.”

Rising Starts Division Champion: Riley Doyle

While most of the technicians are competing on specific medium- or heavy-duty trucks, new technicians that qualify for the Rising Stars division rotate from table to table as their skills are tested on a variety of components and processes. To qualify, they must have been a technician for less than two years and cannot have previously won Rising Stars.

For Riley Doyle, of Rush Truck Leasing in Northwest Houston, this was his first year attending, and he won Rising Stars. He became a truck technician in a round-about way. First, he worked on tires, but the work of technicians caught his eye, so he shifted gears a bit.

While many technicians complete training programs and then get that first shop job, Doyle did not. He simply listened and learned from others.

“I started learning, especially from our lead tech when I first got there, and I was like, ‘Man, this is something I could see myself doing for a while’,” Doyle said after receiving the Rising Stars top award.

What really struck him is that people genuinely cared about him and wanted him to succeed when he joined Rush. The manager when he first started, who is now the general manager of leasing in for the district, would stay late and get under the truck with to help Doyle learn.

“As soon as I saw someone care about care about me as a person, not just a number that I was to them, that was when I was like this is something, this is a place I want to be, I want to learn something,” Doyle said.

In his first year competing at the Rush Rodeo, Doyle took home $11,500 in cash and prizes.

Rush Tech Skills Rodeo 2025

To mark the 20^th year of the event, in 2025 the Rush Tech Skills Rodeo will return to its place of origin, Nashville. But for now, some technicians return home with trophies, cash, and other awards while those who missed out can start setting their sights on next year’s qualifying tests.