Dom McConnell Wins Grand Champion Title at Rush Skills Rodeo
Technician Event Returns to Nashville for 20th Anniversary
Key Takeaways:
- Rush Enterprises held its first Tech Skills Rodeo in Nashville, Tenn., in 2006.
- More than $288,000 in cash and prizes was distributed at this year's event.
- Since 2006, the contest has awarded in excess of $3.5 million in cash and prizes.
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — During last year’s Tech Skills Rodeo in San Antonio, Dom McConnell proposed to his girlfriend at an event mixer. Fast-forward, a month before his wedding, he is hoisting the 2025 Grand Champion trophy.
The service technician from Rush Truck Centers — Orlando South made it to the winners podium Dec. 16 after his third year of competition. His victory capped the Skills Rodeo’s 20th anniversary, which debuted in Nashville in 2006.
The competition also featured leasing, sales and body repair challenges as well as a Rising Stars division that highlights technicians who have been with Rush for two years or less.
McConnell, who also claimed the top spot in the Medium-Duty — Peterbilt division, said his victory simply came down to “dotting his i’s and crossing his t’s.”
Belt buckles and the grand champion's trophy adorn the awards table at the Rush Enterprises Tech Skills Rodeo in Nashville, Tenn. (Michael Freeze/Transport Topics)
“The first couple times I came here, I was focused more on fixing the truck as fast as possible, rather than following the procedures correctly,” McConnell said. “These procedures are ingrained in my mind by now, but I needed to make sure the judge knows that I know that.”
Despite previous challenges, he attributed his success to continuous learning and enthusiasm for his work.
“It’s being passionate about it every day, and making sure that every day you’re learning something new,” McConnell explained. “You’re never doing the same thing twice.”
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While the 26-year-old, self-proclaimed “Pete” guy felt confident on Peterbilt testing, McConnell admitted to “scrambling a bit” when it came to the International side.
“I was a little bit thrown off, not completely understanding their software, but I guess I was able to figure it out enough to get it done,” he said.
One of McConnell’s tasks in the International group involved a search for the root cause of a failed AC unit.
“I found a bad ground and a couple other small things on the International,” he explained. “The issue was the AC wasn’t up. It ended up being a major power supply to the HVAC controller that was causing the AC to not work.”
McConnell said that his preparation involved company-provided training and self-study on weekends.
“You really can’t get anywhere, unless you’re going to try on your own. When I was 17 years old, first starting at another company, I did all my training at home on the weekend,” McConnell said. “Since I’ve been with Rush, I’ve been to multiple classes all over the country. It’s really the company you’re with for me.”
He advised technicians just starting out to read extensively and make educated guesses based on knowledge.
“This is why it’s so important to just make sure that you’re reading up on all the new stuff and studying all the new information, keeping up to date on everything new,” he said. “You never know when something’s going to get thrown your way.”
As far as future contests, McConnell said that he’s going to first enjoy his win with his fiancée, family and friends as he prepares for the holidays and wedding. He noted that he feels blessed to find success in his work.
Rush Enterprises founder and CEO W.M. "Rusty" Rush addresses the audience at the awards ceremony for the 20th Tech Skills Rodeo. (Michael Freeze/Transport Topics)
“[My favorite part of this job] is when nobody can figure out the truck and I can sit on it for a couple of hours, scratch my head and figure it out, then send it out,” McConnell said.
Since 2006, the contest has awarded in excess of $3.5 million in cash and prizes. More than 3,300 employees registered for this year’s event. After the written-test qualifications, that number dwindled to more than 200 finalists.
During the ceremony, Jody Pollard, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Rush Enterprises, mentioned the Skills Rodeo’s humble beginnings.
“We had 80 attendees at the awards dinner, and we gave away $40,000 in prizes to deserving service technicians,” he said. “This year, we will give away more than $288,000 in cash and prizes.”
Rush is planning to return to San Antonio for next year’s Skills Rodeo.
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