Hino Trucks held their sixth annual National Service Skills Competition at their training facility in Novi, Mich. After the day of intense competition, Matt Kiernan of O’Connor Motor Co. in Portland, Maine, came away with the Skills title for 2014.

Kiernan is a Service Technician and has been with O’Connor for nine years. After only his second year in the competition, Kiernan commented, “I would like to thank Hino Trucks for the opportunity to compete in the 2014 National Skills Competition. This year’s competition was well-organized, challenging and thrilling, with the top technicians separated by merely fractions of a point. The in- depth inclusion of Hino’s hybrid technology reached into the limits of my knowledge and the well- varied bugs kept me on my toes!”

According to Hino, the competition brings together the best of the best dealer service technicians from across the country that achieved Master Elite Technician status and puts them head-to-head against each other in varying simulated service-related situations.

The Master Elite Technician designation represents the highest certification a Hino truck technician can attain. The internal competition turned out a record 50 ASE-Certified Master Technicians who were eligible to compete in this year’s skills competition.

“Our service technicians are the best in the truck business,” said John Musial, director of service operations for Hino Trucks. “Their talent and dedication is being recognized and underscores Hino’s commitment to providing quality truck service through quality technicians. Hino Technicians receive in-depth training to complete service orders correctly, the first time, to keep our customers on the road and their business operating. This is part of our Ultimate Ownership Experience.”