Volvo Construction Equipment Holds 'Master Cup' Competition

Seven teams of regional Volvo service and parts technicians competed at Pennsylvania College of Technology's Schneebeli Earth Science Center from Nov. 6-9 for the right to represent the Northeast region in next month's North American "Volvo Master Cup" finals.

The three-member teams were composed of two service technicians and a parts technician from Volvo dealerships throughout the northeast training region, according to David Loveland, training manager for Volvo Construction Equipment North America Inc., in Asheville, N.C. The region covers Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and northeastern states as far south as Maryland and Virginia.

The competition began with a 75-question written test, explained Loveland, who is a member of Penn College's Heavy Construction Equipment Technology/Technician Advisory Board. Participants then worked their way through stations representing five Volvo product lines − a loader, articulated hauler, motor grader, excavator and compact wheel loader.

"We put three bugs in each machine," Loveland said. "They troubleshoot the bugs − they don't actually fix them, but they troubleshoot what's wrong." He said competitors are scored on their problem-solving ability, as well as the correct selection of parts and proper work-safety precautions.

Regional winners advance to the North American finals, to be held the week of Dec. 4 in Asheville; winners there will go on to world competition in Eskilstuna, Sweden, in March.

Volvo Construction Equipment last year donated a new BL70 backhoe loader used to train students in the college's heavy construction equipment technology associate-degree major, as well as assorted parts and service-manual software for students in the diesel equipment technology associate-degree major.

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