SAN ANTONIO -- Twenty semi-finalists continue into testing Tuesday as part of Rush Enterprises’ eighth annual Tech Skills Rodeo, now going on at the San Antonio Convention Center in Texas.

They emerged from 106 technicians from Rush Truck Centers across the country who came to the event that began on Sunday. They in turn were finishers from a group of 600 who began local skills testing several months ago, Rush officials said.

Winners will be announced Tuesday night at a banquet at the convention center in San Antonio, Rush’s hometown. The company, with financial, material and personnel assistance from suppliers, hosts technicians, spouses and other guests for the yearly event, which began in 2006.

Winning technicians receive cash and merchandise prizes worth thousands of dollars, Rush officials said. While in town they and their spouses are hosted at dinners and entertainment and enjoy shopping opportunities in San Antonio’s Riverwalk area.

The 20 semi-finalists specialize in heavy and medium-duty products that are sold and serviced by Rush dealers. The technicians and their Rush Truck Center locations are:  

  • Allison automatic transmissions: Robert Henry, Dayton, Ohio, and Leopoldo Medrano, Pico Rivera, Calif.

  • Cummins diesels: Jeffrey Bogatay, Cleveland; Sherman Brack, Austin, Texas, and Chris Zweifel, El Paso, Texas

  • Eaton components: Bryant Brandon,  Austin; Ronald Crofutt, Denver; and Jason Swann, Dallas.

  • Navistar International MaxxForce diesels: Jake Gilliland, Charlotte, N.C., and Dylan Moser, Hickory, N.C.

  • Paccar MX diesel: Travis Roark, Oklahoma City, and Brian Smith, Austin.

  • Hino trucks: Steven Brain, Dallas, and Mark Smith, Doraville, Ga.

  • International medium-duty trucks: Gary Fassett, Twin Falls, Idaho, and Lance Kilburn, Atlanta.

  • Isuzu trucks: Chris Williams, Denver, and Gavin Mathews, Atlanta.

  • Peterbilt medium-duty trucks: Trinidad Garcia, Escondido, Calif., and Mark Jones, Denver.

About the author
Tom Berg

Tom Berg

Former Senior Contributing Editor

Journalist since 1965, truck writer and editor since 1978.

View Bio
0 Comments