Cox Automotive Technicians Check Expertise at High Tech – Upkeep

A number of the most gifted technicians from Cox Automotive Mobility converged on Indianapolis, Indiana, to compete within the firm’s annual abilities problem occasion, High Tech. Thirty technicians confronted numerous challenges and when all scores had been tallied three winners and three runners-up had been chosen.

“That is for our technicians. We put this collectively to have fun our technicians, to provide them the respect that they deserve. They acquired right here on their dedication and their commerce, their schooling, their studying,” mentioned Larry Fowler, senior supervisor of upkeep for Cox Automotive Fleet Companies and chairman of the 2023 High Tech Committee.

An assortment of OEMs had been readily available staffing numerous stations the place the technicians competed. One instance, Folwer factors out, is how Hendrickson ran the alignment station, utilizing its gear and suspension. Similarly, liftgate producer Maxon performed the abilities check associated to liftgates. The representatives of corporations who manufactured the gear not solely staffed the stations however in lots of circumstances additionally designed the challenges. 

“No person ought to be capable of problem our technicians higher than the producer that made the step,” Fowler mentioned, after citing Maxon for example.

Qualification Course of

Techs all for competing at High Tech begin by taking a web-based written qualifier examination. An invite to take the qualifier is distributed to about 2,300 technicians employed by Cox Automotive (Fleet Companies, Cox Mobility, and Manheim). The qualifier could be very difficult, mentioned Fowler, and solely 700 selected to take it.

In every class of the qualifier, the highest 10 scores are chosen, and people technicians compete in Indianapolis on the Indiana Conference Middle in a big expo corridor Cox Automotive, for the occasion not less than, has dubbed the Battle Enviornment.

Solely 30 are chosen to compete in Indianapolis. Of these, they’re break up into three competitors classes:

• Heavy-duty
• Trailer
• Gentle/Medium-Responsibility

Though Fowler is entrance and heart on the subject of planning the competitors, his ongoing position with Cox Automotive is to assist the technicians. Generally he receives calls from techs in search of recommendation or asking for options. He additionally builds a rapport with those competing at High Tech and after they return to work, they often name extra typically than the others.

Competitors

The heavy-duty and lightweight/medium-duty opponents every go to 15 talent stations that problem their data and talents on subjects similar to air system, air disc brakes, wheel finish, beginning and charging, Expertise & Upkeep Council Really useful Practices handbook, fasteners, and extra.

The technicians competing within the trailer class go to stations similar to electronics, alignment, liftgate, and preventative upkeep.

Fowler mentioned the problem creators are informed to make the duties laborious, ideally, so no one scores an ideal 100.

However as soon as a abilities problem is full, then regardless of the result, technicians have an ideal studying alternative earlier than transferring on to their subsequent rotation.

“The directions that we give to the judges is when you’re performed, as soon as you’ve got scored the sheet, in the event that they need to ask questions, completely reply. As a result of it is a studying occasion,” Fowler mentioned. “It is direct entry for our technicians to the brightest minds within the trade, the fellows who can advise them and educate them.”

2023 Winners

The primary and second-place winners for 2023 within the Cox Automotive High Tech competitors are:

• Jose Feliciano – 1st place, Heavy-Responsibility
• Jeremy Piepmeier – 2nd place, Heavy-Responsibility          
• Zach Nikorak – 1st place, Gentle/Medium Responsibility
• AJ Snyder (Manheim) – 2nd place, Gentle/Medium Responsibility
• Michael “Jr” Kerfoot – 1st place, Trailer
• Bud Haney (Trudell) – 2nd place, Trailer

Every of the first-place winners shall be sponsored by Cox Automotive to compete within the American Trucking Associations’ TMCSuper Tech competitors. The winners additionally acquired prizes from a number of giant sponsors of High Tech.