Record Participation for Penske’s Tech Showdown 2025
Celebrating 25 years of excellence, the 2025 National Tech Showdown is shaping up to be a milestone event in Penske Truck Leasing’s history. With record-breaking participation, expanded competition categories, and unprecedented cash prizes, it’s clear why the Tech Showdown has earned its reputation as a premier skills competition in the industry.
The Tech Showdown isn’t just an internal competition – it’s a celebration of the expertise, and dedication of Penske’s maintenance technicians and customer service representatives (CSRs).
Through timed, hands-on challenges and rigorous written assessments, participants hone their skills while demonstrating the critical role they play in driving Penske’s success and keeping its customers moving forward.
With nearly 3,000 competitors nationwide, this event highlights Penske’s unwavering commitment to its associates and the development of its workforce.
“This year, we’ve raised the stakes like never before with a prize pool surpassing previous years,” said Penske Truck Leasing President Art Vallely. “From basic preventive maintenance to advanced systems diagnostics, the competition underscores the value of continuous learning and precision.
“This event exemplifies the best of what Penske stands for—innovation, excellence, and dedication to our associates,” added Vallely.
For the first time, PM Plus, has been introduced exclusively for Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) and Tech III associates, providing more associates the opportunity to compete and shine on the national stage.
The competition lanes are designed to test comprehensive knowledge and skills across major brands within Penske’s fleet of over 435,000 vehicles.
Tech Pro competitors —including Tech I, Tech II, and Lead associates—will showcase mastery of intermediate and advanced systems, while PM Plus participants will demonstrate their expertise in preventive maintenance and essential systems.
Top techs will advance through district and area competitions, with 26 Tech Pro and 16 PM Plus winners competing at the 2025 National Tech Showdown on June 12, at the Team Penske race shop in Mooresville, North Carolina.
The countdown to the 2025 National Tech Showdown finals is on.
Vallely expressed his enthusiasm for this year’s event, saying, “This is our very own Super Bowl—the highest stage in our industry to celebrate our technicians and CSRs. I couldn’t be prouder to cheer them on as they showcase their unmatched skills and dedication.”
Discover career opportunities to join this world-class team by visiting Penske’s Technician Careers Site.
By Caitlin Stibitz
Cory Norman, tech I based in Carrollton, Texas
Trainer Ernie Luzania using the HoloLens2 device
Penske technician viewing the HoloLens2 feed 
Former and current apprentices at the Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania location. L to R: Jayvon Blackston (Tech III), Nhac Kim (Tech III), Raudy Abreu (Tech III), Naim McCall-Hampton (Tech III), Luis De Leon (apprentice), Edwin Harris (apprentice).
Michael Greene
Paul Townes
(From left to right) Penske Truck Leasing - Fred Haddad (Area Vice President), John Marvin (District Manager), Montgomery Younce (Area Maintenance Manager), TechForce Foundation - Jennifer Maher (CEO/Executive Director)TechForce Foundation
Mobile STEM Center ChallengeTechForce Foundation
Penske Truck Leasing technician Gerrit Sluyter, left, poses with Penske manager Rick Swanson and the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Patriot Award for Swanson's support of Sluyter, a U.S. Marines Corps reservist.
Pictured is Penske associate Gabe Shotts.
The system provides voice prompts via a headset to direct maintenance technicians through a preventive maintenance (PM) inspection. It is the foundation of Penske’s proprietary PM process, providing the ability to tailor inspections to the specific vehicle, its age, specifications and technologies now and in the future.