For the first time ever, we are proud to have had six of our very own J.B. Hunt maintenance technicians compete in the Arkansas Technician Championship (ATC).
These technicians are truly exceptional and help keep our drivers on the road every single day. Keep reading to learn more about what the competition consisted of and what our J.B. Hunt technicians accomplished!
Who is competing in the Arkansas Technician Championship?
To be chosen for this competition, technicians across the country were asked to participate in a written exam and the techs with the highest scores were selected to represent their region at the championship. Here are the six J.B. Hunt employees who represented us this year:
- Jose – West
- Natalie – Southeast
- Ben – Central
- Bobby – Northeast
- Zenon – Midwest
- Ricky – Southwest
We are so incredibly proud of the technicians chosen to represent our J.B. Hunt scroll, and our people were so excited to cheer them on for their first year of competing!
Natalie, our maintenance technician from the Southeast region, says, “This is the proudest moment of my career so far. I get to be a part of the first year of this competition, and it’s such a big deal.”
Interested in becoming a part of the J.B. Hunt scroll? Search jobs.
What can technicians expect from the competition?
At the Arkansas Technician Championship, truck technicians participated in a written exam as well as testing their skills at 14 hands-on challenge stations. Some of these stations included electrical, drive train, preventative maintenance inspection (PMI) and steering.
Trailer technicians also took a written exam and took part in nine hands-on challenge stations. Some of the trailer technician stations are demonstrating proper alignment procedure, electrical and tire inflation.
These hands-on challenges allow the technicians participating to show the focus they put on their craft and demonstrate their expertise. We were so excited for our six technicians to show off their skills and represent the J.B. Hunt team!
What is the ATC experience like?
One of the best parts of the Arkansas Technician Championship is that our technicians got to bring their family members and loved ones to enjoy the festivities and watch the competition. This made things extra special for the technicians and added some familiar faces to the crowd cheering them on. Family members got to enjoy fun activities such as bowling, the Hunt Family Ozark Highlands Nature Center and many more fun activities while their technicians practiced for the competition.
Our maintenance administration team wanted to set our techs up for success and coordinated vendors like Doggett Freightliner, Eaton, ConMet and more to visit our Technician Boot Camp and set up training and learning opportunities for competing techs.
The night before the big competition, our technicians and their families attended a dinner with company awards. This dinner was for both J.B. Hunt technicians and drivers. This was a great way to get in the J.B. Hunt spirit before the big day. At this dinner, one of our former Executive Vice Presidents of Maintenance, Bob Ralston made an appearance. He is a household name here at J.B. Hunt because our Bob Ralston Excellence in Maintenance Award is given out to technicians who go above and beyond. With 34 years of experience at J.B. Hunt, starting as a shop foreman, Mr. Ralston had a plethora of knowledge and experience to share with the technicians who were participating in the competition.
To send our technicians into the competition with a bang, members of our executive leadership team as well as other employees, got up early to cheer on our competitors as they entered the competition for J.B. Hunt’s first time competing!
What were the results of the competition?
Ben:
- 1st place in Fasteners and Fittings
- 1st place in After Treatment
- 1st place Service Information
- 2nd place in Tire and Wheel Analysis
- Truck Grand champion
- Golden Wrench Rookie of the Year
Ricky:
- 2nd place Collision Mitigation
- 1st place Drive Train
- 1st place Tire and Wheel Analysis
- 2nd place After Treatment
- Truck Grand Champion Runner Up
Natalie:
- 2nd place Fasteners and Fittings
We’re so thankful for our six amazing J.B. Hunt technicians, their families and all of the individuals involved who made our first year competing so special. Our technicians really do keep us moving!
If you’re interested in becoming a part of a technician team that values you, join J.B. Hunt.