Isuzu Commercial Truck of America's (ICTA) team of service technicians placed second in the High Technology Diesel division of the 12th Annual Isuzu One Grand Prix World Technician Competition. The competition was conducted at Isuzu Motors Limited’s training center in Fujisawa, Japan.
Eighty-one technicians from Isuzu distributors in 27 countries competed in this year’s event, a grueling, multi-stage competition requiring outstanding performance on written examinations and in hands-on tests of vehicle diagnosis and repair skills. Eight nations were assigned to the High Technology Diesel category. ICTA team consisted of Trevor Shrader of CIT Isuzu Truck in Loves Park, Illinois, and Tim McCarty of Rush Isuzu Truck in Atlanta, Georgia.
“Trevor and Tim represented ICTA beautifully,” said Shaun Skinner, president of ICTA. “Thanks to them, this was our best finish ever in the World Technician Competition. That speaks well of their diagnostic and repair skills, and it’s also a testament to the investment we’ve made in our training centers in both Pennsylvania and California.”
To qualify for the event, Shrader and McCarty had to outscore 47 other Isuzu technicians from throughout the U.S. and Canada in the Isuzu North America Technical Competition, held between January 23 and July 12, 2017, which mirrored the worldwide contest in layout, timing and severity. Then, to prepare for the global competition, both technicians went through three intensive week-long training sessions at ICTA’s Center of Excellence in Pittston, Pennsylvania. The complex, which opened in July 2016, is comprised of a world-class 30,000-square-foot training and technical assistance facility and a state-of-the-art, 100,000 square-foot parts distribution center.
“This year was the sixth consecutive year that ICTA participated in the event. Our previous performances were good, but for a variety of reasons we felt 2017 could be the year we could really shine,” said Micah Embry, executive director of Centers of Excellence for ICTA. “Our newly-constructed training centers in Pittston and in Anaheim, California, have been running smoothly since their grand openings in 2016. So we felt we had the opportunity to focus our efforts and resources to improve our position in the world competition. And we did—coming in just behind the perennial first-place team from Isuzu Japan.”
“The goal of the Isuzu One Grand Prix World Technician Competition is to raise the level of service in every corner of the globe,” Skinner said. “The goal is to provide Isuzu customers with maximum satisfaction anytime and anywhere. Our fantastic showing in this year’s contest should be a clear indication to our customers that excellent service is not just a promise—it’s what we deliver, and have the worldwide recognition to prove it.”
