NASHVILLE, TN – After 27 years as a technician with Ryder System, Inc., you’d think Ken Bilyea would want to take it easy.

The only competitor from Canada, the London, Ontario native placed third in the Ryder 2017 Top Technician (Top Tech) contest held in Nashville, Tennessee July 27.

His fourth time in the competition – he placed second in 2016 – Bilyea has no plans to stop testing his skills against other top technicians any time soon.

“I’m an old technician, but I always like to have a new challenge,” he said. “Top tech has made me a better technician.”

With more than 1,800 technicians competing in qualifying rounds to represent different regions in North America and the United Kingdom, the competition aims to test the skills of Ryder’s very best.

To qualify technicians must first place in two testing rounds consisting of 50, and then 100 written questions. Canada is just one region, and could have a maximum of two representatives – one for the region and one additional competitor if they qualify for a wild card spot. This year Bilyea was Canada’s regional representative and the wild card spot went to another area. Six competitors make it to the final round.

The competition is held in a different location each year, and this was Bilyea’s first time visiting Nashville. The trip included a visit to the Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems plant where the company makes disc brakes.

“They take us to a bunch of different sites and it’s really well put together. It’s a good time,” Bilyea said.

Top Tech is divided into 10 timed stations run by vendors in which each competitor must diagnose a problem or bug with the truck, and in most cases, repair it. Each technician has 30 minutes to make the magic happen, and they must “visualize and verbalize” as they go – that is make sure the judges can see and hear what is being done in order to accurately score points.

“We’re showcasing our technicians. Ryder really represents their technicians well. They treat us really good,” Bilyea said.

Bilyea says he is pleased to see more technicians getting involved in the competition, and not just for the potential prize money – first place winners take home US$50,000, while Bilyea’s third-place showing netted him US$500 – but because it makes shops stronger.

“They look after us. It’s top-notch. It’s a super solid program,” He said. “The challenge makes everybody a better technician and we’re giving to our customers a better product.”

Bilyea serves as a mentor in his own shop in London, where he offers advice to other technicians who may need help. It’s then that he can use the skills he learns competing to make the shop stronger. The only request he makes is that other techs “pay it forward.”

Bilyea works hard every day to keep his skills top notch. Whether it’s reading a bulletin or leaning about a new part, he works to keep his skills current. What does he think it’s going to take to get him from third to first?

“Slowing down and maybe taking my time,” he said. Bilyea will be working on looking over his work with extra care in preparation for next year’s competition.

The 2017 Top Tech winner was Robert Gonzalez from the United States.