Ryder Crowns “Top Tech” at 22nd Annual Top Technician North American Championship in Detroit

Cody Morris showcases truck maintenance mastery as this year’s “Top Tech” champion and $50,000 cash prize winner

Ryder System, Inc. announces it has awarded Cody Morris of Kentucky with the 2023 Ryder Top Technician title and a $50,000 cash prize. The Ryder Top Technician (“Top Tech”) Skills Competition is designed to identify, showcase, and reward Ryder’s top performing truck maintenance technicians from its locations across the United States and Canada. This year’s competition was held at the Huntington Place convention center in Detroit, Michigan.

Under the watchful eye of ten judges, each of the ten Top Tech finalists went head-to-head in a series of rigorous hands-on skills tests, rotating every 30 minutes across ten Ryder trucks at the Huntington Place in downtown Detroit. The stations were developed in partnership with numerous Ryder supplier partners and OEMs, and were designed to reflect current industry challenges, from preventive maintenance to collision avoidance system diagnostics. These finalists initially outperformed 2,500 competitors and advanced through several increasingly demanding regional qualifier rounds of challenging written and hands-on tests to compete in the 2023 North American championship in Detroit.

“I am continually impressed by our technicians and their commitment to ensuring vehicle diagnostics are performed efficiently, and repairs are done right the first time, while staying up to date on the latest innovations and technology in commercial vehicles,” says Ryder Chairman and CEO Robert Sanchez. “Congratulations to Cody Morris for earning this year’s Top Tech honor and heartfelt thank you for his commitment to Ryder and our customers since 2011. Cody’s dedication to excellence is a shining example of why customers trust Ryder to deliver high-quality, reputable service, and vehicle uptime rooted in knowledge and continuous education.”

Ryder’s Top Tech Competition showcases the caliber of technical training needed to ensure quality service of Ryder’s more than 260,000 vehicles. Of Ryder’s 5,000 U.S.- and Canada-based technicians, more than 2,500 applied to be measured on their technical training qualifications, outstanding customer service performance, and quality workmanship.

“Since the first-ever Top Tech Competition was held in 2002 with just 212 Ryder technicians competing, it continues to be the most anticipated celebration of the best technicians in the industry,” says Bryce Kinsley, vice president of maintenance operations at Ryder. “We are honored to be the chosen employer of these technicians, whose unparalleled technical skills, workmanship, and enthusiasm for continuous learning inspire future generations of Ryder employees. Congratulations to Cody, the regional finalists, and to all those who competed in this year’s competition.”

Ryder Top Tech finalists, Kyle Walton of Pennsylvania, and Warren Smith of Ontario, Canada, placed second and third, respectively. In addition to Cody Morris winning the grand prize, each finalist received a $10,000 cash prize and enjoyed a week of local activities and events around Detroit.

Each finalist, along with their guests, was treated to a week’s worth of fun, entertainment, and dining in the heart of Motor City. They embarked on tours of the city and visited numerous notable locations, including a Detroit Daimler engine manufacturing facility, the Henry Ford American Innovation Museum, and Greenfield Village.

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