MRO Technician Spotlight: Ken Bilyea, Ryder System, Inc

Ken Bilyea

Title: Technician, Ryder System, Inc.

Location: London, Ontario, Canada

Duties: Diagnostics,annual inspections

MHMRO: How did you get into the industry, and what do you like about it?

Bilyea: I got into this industry right out of high school. I started pumping fuel for Ryder and then I worked my way up through the Provincial apprenticeship program here in Canada, where we receive 9,000 hours of hands-on training. I got my license after that, and the rest is history. I have now been in this industry for 35 years this year.

I love the daily challenges of this industry. No challenge is too great. I like learning something every day. My favorite part of the job is mentoring young technicians—it’s a wonderful thing. I like watching them grow from young people into experienced professionals. It’s so rewarding. I also enjoy watching a product I have repaired going out on to the road, after having repaired right the first time.

MHMRO: Which skills do you think make for a successful technician?

Bilyea: I think to be a good technician you have to both learn and adapt quickly. It’s always a changing scene and a different problem to make sure a vehicle is repaired correctly. You also have to have the ability to show others how to diagnose and make repairs correctly and make sure they are doing the correct job by the way of the specifications.

MHMRO: How do you keep up with new technologies?

Bilyea: I keep up with the news by constantly reading every day. I read service bulletins, manuals, trade magazines, anything, publications of every kind. I am also always looking for any training I can find online and then I take it. Also, if I see someone working on a vehicle that I have never seen, I make sure to approach them and ask questions to learn more about the challenge to see if there is something I can learn. I always tell my team that paying it forward like that builds a strong team of technicians in the shop. Ryder’s annual Top Technician Competition has also kept me, and my fellow Ryder techs, up to date with the latest technology as we have to stay sharp to make it into the program, leading to our shop being stronger with technicians who are trained across a variety of services.

MHMRO: What would you say to a young person considering a career as a technician?

Bilyea: I would tell them to learn whatever they can and to get excited and get hungry. I would advise them to reflect on everything they do every day and think about what they could have done better or what they could have learned. You have to think about what’s tomorrow: What can I learn tomorrow? And, never stop learning. This industry is so busy and changing so fast that no one ever stops learning. And, I would tell them to work hard.