This year was Managed Mobile’s inaugural technician skills competition, aptly named Diesel Derby, because it was a race to the finish! The competition is comprised of two parts: a written technical exam and hands-on skill test stations. The format also includes two separate divisions for our advanced and apprentice technicians alike: SuperTech and FutureTech. Being competitive is a big part of our culture at Managed Mobile, and it’s certainly fun to have bragging rights among your peers, but for most technicians, putting their skills to the test and competing to be the best is confirmation that they are true professionals in their trade.

Historically, there’s been a bit of a stigma in our country that the skilled trades are somewhat “less than” because they can be dirty, require less education, and are “just manual labor.” This could not be further from the truth, as today’s technicians are smart, technical, well trained, creative, hardworking, and arguably, better positioned to contribute and succeed in today’s economy than most college graduates. All of these traits are necessary to tackle the difficult troubleshooting, diagnosis and repairs a technician encounters every day. Having a competition to highlight a technician’s knowledge and skill, and demonstrating this in front of their family, peers, and the entire industry, is very fulfilling and gives our technicians a strong sense of pride.

Managed Mobile’s Diesel Derby was quite the feat to put together and pull off, and we owe a big thank you to everyone who helped make it happen. The event was well attended by over 30 competitors, and by dozens of event volunteers, family, and friends of Managed Mobile, as well as special guests and sponsors. Everyone enjoyed the live action watching technicians compete at test stations, eating BBQ, the car and motorcycle show, music from a live DJ, kids face painting and activities, and just overall fun for everyone!

A hush came over the large crowd as the competition results were tallied and we announced our first SuperTech (Landon) and Future Tech (Zach) as the winners! Next up, Managed Mobile and Landon are off to Cleveland, Ohio in September, to compete in TMC’s National SuperTech competition against the best technicians in the nation!

Thanks again to everyone who made Diesel Derby a smashing success and we look forward to a an even bigger and better event next year!