Mitchell 1’s Journey at the TMC SuperTech

Being the new kid on the block carries with it more than a few challenges. Those challenges tend to be amplified when everyone else in the neighborhood has been working together for years. For better or worse, this was the reality for Mitchell 1 during the inaugural Truck Maintenance Council (TMC) SuperTech competition at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, nearly 20 ago in 2005.

The Early Days of Mitchell 1’s Heavy Truck Repair

My time working with the Mitchell 1 truck offering started back in 2002. The product, Heavy Truck Repair (HTR), consisted of a single disc, which covered mostly medium-duty domestic and Asian trucks, along with older heavy truck diesel engines, transmissions and axles.

Sometime around 2003–04, Dave Costantino was tasked with exploring and potentially expanding the Mitchell 1 offering in the commercial truck field. Dave started traveling and getting to know the trucking industry with a passion. Not long after Dave started researching, we began working together to determine what Mitchell 1 needed to provide a stronger, more up-to-date commercial truck offering.

Connecting with TMC and the SuperTech Opportunity

Dave quickly came to recognize TMC as a fantastic organization where Mitchell 1 could connect with those in the trucking industry. As Mitchell 1 started learning more about the industry, a fantastic – and now long-lasting – opportunity arose: the TMC SuperTech competition. Dave arranged for Mitchell 1 to participate in the competition as the Service Information station.

Preparing for the First TMC SuperTech Competition

Taking part in a technician competition as a testing station was a new and rather intimidating experience. Several tasks needed to be accomplished before ever getting to the competition floor. First, we spent hours constructing real-world technical questions that the contestants could solve using the Mitchell 1 truck program.

Making the questions too simple created the potential for everyone to answer them all correctly, or maybe not even needing the program to answer the question. On the other hand, making the questions too challenging could result in none of the contestants finishing more than a few.

After putting together questions, we would ask former technicians at Mitchell 1 to take the test under timed conditions. Eventually, the questions for the SuperTech competition were ready to go. The next task was for IT to get the computer workstations put together and the truck program installed on the computers. Once all the pieces we needed for the competition were collected, everything had to be boxed up and shipped to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.

The Competition and the “Mitchell What?” Moment

We arrived in Valley Forge the day before the competition, which proved to be a wise decision. We worked at getting the computer workstations ready until well after midnight. While there were more than a few bumps along the way, everything finally came together as planned. We headed back to the hotel for a few brief hours of sleep before getting ready for the big day ahead.

Following the morning briefing, each group went to its testing station. Once the technicians started moving through the stations, we discovered how unknown Mitchell 1 was to the trucking industry. A few techs knew about Mitchell 1 through the automotive Parts & Labor manuals. Maybe 2 or 3 had ever heard of or used the Mitchell 1 truck service information.

Observing the Technician’s Struggles

One great benefit in administering the test was that we could observe how the techs navigated the program while looking up the service information. It quickly became apparent that in 2005, techs were not only unfamiliar with the program but also struggled with how to use the computer. Some would just sit there and stare at the monitor until time ran out. Others kept accidentally closing the program, and we would need to point out how to get back in.

The test ended up being as much about navigating the computer as it was answering the technical questions. Not surprisingly, those who had some computer skills did significantly better. By the end of the day, we knew there were more than a few challenges ahead in bringing the Mitchell 1 truck program into the industry.

Fast Forward: Mitchell 1’s Transformation in the Industry

Jump forward nearly 20 years, and both Dave and I have since retired from Mitchell 1. Over the years, we’ve witnessed the remarkable transformation of Mitchell 1’s truck service offerings within the Commercial Vehicle Group (CVG). What once was unfamiliar to technicians has now become a trusted resource they rely on for quick and accurate diagnostics and repairs.

Today, a new generation of computer-savvy technicians uses Mitchell 1 programs in their shop. When the technicians use the program today in the competitions, the Mitchell 1 representatives administering the test often learn new methods of how to better navigate the program in resolving vehicle issues.

Technicians now rely on Mitchell 1 programs daily for diagnosing and repairing vehicles, and the brand has become a well-known name in the industry. The days of hearing “Mitchell what?” at TMC SuperTech are firmly behind us and now part of history.

From ‘Mitchell What?’ to an Industry Staple: Mitchell 1’s Journey at the TMC SuperTech

Technicians now rely on Mitchell 1 programs daily for diagnosing and repairing vehicles, and the brand has become a well-known name in the industry. The days of hearing “Mitchell what?” at TMC SuperTech are firmly behind us and now part of history.