Dealer service technicians from across the country competed at Hino Trucks' maiden National Service Skills Competition in Novi, Mich.


To compete, technicians had to earn the Master Elite Technician designation, the highest mark a Hino truck technician can get. To get there, technicians are required to complete 14 Hino training courses and all six Automotive Service Excellence Medium/Heavy Duty Truck test series certifications. Technicians can receive recognition in three levels, including Premier, Platinum and Master Elite.

"Proper training gives the Hino technician the 'Fix it Right the First Time' attitude and our new 16,950 square-foot state-of-the art training facility next to our headquarters provides us the opportunity to expand our training offerings," said George Daniels, vice president, service operations for Hino Trucks. Hino also has a training facility in Ontario, Calif., to accommodate regional support.

After a technician goes through the company's training process, they can move on to the competition. This year's Hino Master Elite Technicians included in the competition were:

* Daniel Burstein, Rush Truck Center, El Paso, Texas
* John Wiggins, Hino of Wichita, Kansas
* Michael Willougby, Rush Truck Center, Oklahoma City, Okla.
* Greg Zubek, Chicago Mack Sales & Service, Summit, Ill.

Zubek took home the competition title. "It is my belief that factory training and knowing the product are the keys to making the repair right the first time," Zubek said. "This will motivate technicians to get involved with ASE programs and dealers will send more techs for Hino Training."

More info: www.hino.com