Ryder System has crowned Warren Smith of Ontario, Canada as the 2024 Ryder Top Technician and awarded him a $50,000 cash prize. Ten finalists competed in the annual event.

The annual Ryder Top Technician (Top Tech) Skills Competition is designed to identify, showcase, and reward Ryder’s top-performing truck maintenance professionals among its 4,800 U.S.- and Canada-based technicians. Held in a new city each year, the 2024 championship event was at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The event is now in its 23rd year.

“Congratulations to Warren Smith as this year’s Top Tech and a heartfelt thank you to all our finalists and competitors for another successful and inspiring display of truck maintenance mastery,” says Robert Sanchez, chairman and CEO of Ryder. “Since 2002, our Top Tech competition week and grand prize are just one of the many ways we highlight the value of our skilled technician workforce – celebrating their indisputable talent and showcasing why Ryder techs are the best in the business.”

10 Finalists Face Technician Challenges 

Ten finalists went head-to-head in a series of hands-on skills challenges, rotating every 30 minutes across 10 trucks while a panel of judges evaluated their performance.

At each station, finalists were presented with modern diagnostic challenges designed to test their technical expertise in a variety of areas, including:

• Preventive maintenance

• Collision avoidance system diagnostics

• Electronic engine diagnostics

• Aftertreatment system diagnostics

• Multiplexing/diagnostics

• Automated transmission diagnostics

• Heavy-duty electrical systems

The stations were developed in partnership with various Ryder supplier partners and OEMs to showcase the caliber of technical training needed to ensure quality service on the nearly 250,000 commercial vehicles Ryder maintains.

This year’s finalists outperformed 1,200 other Ryder technicians in the first round and advanced through the regional qualifier round to compete in the championship in Pittsburgh.

Other key award recipients were:

• Second place - Kyle Walton of Ryder’s Bristol, Pennsylvania, shop

• Third place - Benjamin Cheaney of Ryder’s Evansville, Indiana, location

After the competition, finalists were recognized at an awards ceremony hosted at the Heinz History Museum, where each received a $10,000 cash prize. 

“Our skilled Ryder technicians are essential in this process, providing the expertise and support needed to keep operations running smoothly,” adds Bryce Kinsley, vice president of maintenance operations at Ryder. “We take pride in being the preferred employer of these top technicians as they continue to deliver the best service and workmanship in the industry.”

Technicians Experience Pittsburgh Attractions 

As part of the annual competition, finalists and their guests enjoyed a week filled with activities, entertainment, and opportunities to explore Pittsburgh’s history and connection to transportation, logistics, and related industries. This year, finalists were treated to a tour around the Steel City, experiencing the Carrie Blast Furnaces, a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game, the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix, and the incline railways.