Dom McConnell is a student of his craft. He makes sure all procedures are followed while working on a truck.

That attention to detail paid off for the 26-year-old technician who works out of Rush Truck Centers, Orlando South. He was crowned all-around champion at the Rush Enterprises Tech Skills Rodeo in Nashville, Tenn., winning $14,000.

Participating for the third time at the event, he said he made sure each “i” was dotted and “t” was crossed. “The first couple times I came here, I was focused more on fixing the truck as fast as possible, rather than following procedures correctly,” he said.

Rusty Rush, president, chairman and CEO, noted that participants at the 20^th anniversary event are the cream of the crop. He added that consistent performance is what helps get trucks in and out of the shop. A better-trained technician will do a better job, with proper management, to provide quick and expedient service for the customers.

Dan Paquette of Rush Truck Centres of Canada, Sudbury, Ont., won first place in the Rising Star division, along with $11,500.

“It’s a little overwhelming, very exciting, and a little bit surprising,” he said. “I’m very happy that I placed well, and proud of myself for being able to come in first place.”

Paquette said that although a lot of things were going on at the big event, he felt confident in his abilities as a technician. He aims to continue training, qualify, and return for next year’s event.

Jason Wilder, Rush Enterprises’ chief operating officer, said that the best diesel technicians are those who are flexible in their approach. They work on different issues at the same time.

“They might be waiting on parts for one truck and have to shift focus and use different skill sets and deal with another issue while they wait,” he said.

He added that pay, benefits and recognition make technicians feel valued, and that the key is consistent training so they can continue to develop their careers.

Champion McConnell said communicating with the judges about what he was doing played a part in his success at the event.

He said it is important to read up on developments and keep up to date on new things in the industry, as you never know what will get thrown your way.

“Knowledge is key, so when you’re working on a truck, you’re not taking a guess. You’re taking an educated guess based on what you know from the information,” he said.

The winners

All-around champion: Dom McConnell — medium-duty, Peterbilt, Rush Truck Centers Orlando South

Grand champions

• Truck sales (medium-duty, Isuzu): Steven Nace — Rush Truck Centers Smyrna
• Aftermarket sales (Metro): Ryan Summers — Rush Truck Centers Denver
• Parts (International): Eric Valenzuela — Rush Truck Centers Joliet
• Medium-duty service (Peterbilt): Dom McConnell — Rush Truck Centers Orlando South
• Heavy-duty service (Cummins): Nat Dixon — Rush Truck Centers Joplin

Reserve grand champions

• Aftermarket sales (rural): Francisco Ferrara — Rush Truck Centers Greeley
• Parts (Hino): Aaron Van Straten — Rush Truck Centers Houston Northwest
• Medium-duty service (International): Joe Behrend — Rush Truck Centers Idaho Falls
• Heavy-duty service (Paccar MX): Paul Crawford — Rush Truck Centers Haines City

Rising Star Division

1. Dan Paquette — Rush Truck Centres of Canada, Sudbury
2. Jamie Graham — Rush Truck Centers Waco
3. Riley Youngblood — Rush Truck Centers Fort Worth

Leasing

1. Riley Doyle — Rush Truck Leasing Houston Northwest
2. Kyle Phaneuf — Rush Truck Leasing Salina Idealease

Parts divisions (winners)

• Ford — Jeff Cerullo, Chicago
• Hino — Aaron Van Straten, Houston Northwest
• Isuzu — John O’Brien, Orlando South
• International — Eric Valenzuela, Joliet
• Paccar — Jesus Bernardo Marquez, Yuma

Body repair

1. Larry Edwards — Richmond
2. Rich Uzialko — Haines City

Body paint

1. Daniel Garcia Gonzalez — Salt Lake City
2. Trevor Powell — Richmond

Medium-duty supplier divisions (winners)

• Allison — Charlie Marine (San Antonio)
• Bus — Cody Lucas (Cleveland)
• Ford — Frank Uriostegui-Roman (Las Vegas)
• Hino — Thomas Powell (Austin)
• Isuzu — JR Hartz (Denver)
• International — Chris Purcell (Atlanta)
• Peterbilt — Dom McConnell (Orlando South)

Heavy-duty supplier divisions (winners)

• Alternative Fuels — Walter Hobbs (Fort Worth)
• Vocational — Travis Webster (Houston)
• Cummins — Wesley Appleton (Odessa)
• Eaton — Matt Biggs (Nashville)
• IH Engine — Jon Steckman (Columbus, Ohio)
• Paccar MX — Brandon Winebark (Tyler)

Truck sales

• MD truck sales (Ford, Hino, Isuzu): Steven Nace — Smyrna
• MD truck sales (Peterbilt and International): Andrew Hirsch — Charlotte
• HD truck sales (Peterbilt and International): Jeff Spanley — San Antonio