MIAMI — Warren Smith of Ontario, Canada, has been named the champion of the Ryder System Inc. 2024 Top Technician competition. In addition to bragging rights as the company’s best tech, Smith walked away with a $50,000 cash prize.
Ryder’s annual Top Technician challenge, now in its 23rd year, is designed to identify, showcase and reward Ryder’s top performing truck maintenance professionals among the company’s 4,800 technicians that are based in the U.S. and Canada, according to a statement from Ryder. The event is held in a different city each year. The 2024 championship was held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh.
“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,” said 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.”
To reach the championship round in Pittsburgh, each competitor had to outperform 1,200 other Ryder technicians in the first round and advance through the regional qualifier round. During the final competition, 10 finalists went head-to-head in a series of rigorous 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 preventive maintenance, collision-avoidance system diagnostics, electronic engine diagnostics, aftertreatment system diagnostics, multiplexing/diagnostics, automated transmission diagnostics, heavy-duty electrical systems and more. The stations were developed in partnership with various Ryder supplier partners and OEMs.
Kyle Walton of Ryder’s Bristol, Pennsylvania, shop took second place in the championship, and Benjamin Cheaney of Ryder’s Evansville, Indiana, location earned third place. After the competition, all 10 finalists were recognized at an awards ceremony hosted at the Heinz History Museum, where each received a $10,000 cash prize.
“It was particularly fitting to celebrate Warren Smith and each of our finalists in the ‘City of Bridges’ this year. At Ryder, we serve as a bridge between our customers and their clients, helping to navigate obstacles to ensure they deliver on their promises to customers,” said Bryce Kinsley, vice president of maintenance operations at Ryder.
“Our skilled Ryder technicians are essential in this process, providing the expertise and support needed to keep operations running smoothly,” he continued. “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.”
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.
Linda Garner-Bunch has been in publishing for more than 30 years. You name it, Linda has written about it. She has served as an editor for a group of national do-it-yourself publications and has coordinated the real estate section of Arkansas’ only statewide newspaper, in addition to working on a variety of niche publications ranging from bridal magazines to high-school sports previews and everything in between. She is also an experienced photographer and copy editor who enjoys telling the stories of the “Knights of the Highway,” as she calls our nation’s truck drivers.
