When Hino Australia first held a skills competition in 2008, it was a modest event. Vice President – Product Support Greg Bleasel remembers it clearly: “It started off with just service, about eight people. It was very casual, a very small budget sort of thing.” But the response was strong, and visiting colleagues from Japan encouraged the company to expand and refine the format.
Today, the National Skills Contest is a major annual event involving Service, Parts and Sales, with months of preparation and qualification rounds leading to the final in Sydney. Bleasel says each year the team challenges itself “to do something different that we haven’t done before,” ensuring the event evolves with the industry.
President & CEO Richard Emery says the contest is now in its “14th year of hosting the Hino National Skills Contest,” and notes that it has become “among the longest running events of this type in the Australian motor vehicle industry.” Its growth reflects Hino’s emphasis on professional development, customer experience and network capability.
The addition of the Parts and Sales streams followed strong interest from dealers. Bleasel says the contest has become an anchor point for dealer relationships.
International recognition has also grown. Emery says Hino Japan sees the Australian program as “one of the more advanced and sophisticated” globally. Representatives from Japan attend each year, and there is consideration for regional integration of future finals.
The contest’s evolution mirrors changes in truck technology. Early events did not contend with Euro 6 engines, hybrid powertrains, telematics platforms or digital diagnostics. Today’s assessments reflect the complexity of modern vehicles. Service technicians work with simulated faults and live diagnostic tools. Parts interpreters handle genuine-versus-non-genuine comparisons. Sales consultants demonstrate how to translate safety systems and emissions data into meaningful customer outcomes.
Gus Belanszky, General Manager – Service & Customer Support, says the contest has helped boost professionalism across the network. “You’ve got to have good quality and well-trained technicians… they’re pretty complex bits of gear,” he says. Modern trucks demand higher technical literacy, and the contest helps ensure dealers can keep pace.
The event has also expanded its cultural footprint. Dealers now bring partners, managers and supporters. The top performers receive cash prizes and an all-expenses-paid trip to Japan — a reward that Bleasel says is “unique in the industry.”From a small experiment to a national milestone, Hino’s National Skills Contest has grown into a sophisticated talent and capability platform. It reflects the company’s investment in its people — and its belief that skilled teams are the foundation of strong customer outcomes.
