Mercedes-Benz crown for technician

Mercedes-Benz Truck director Michael May (left) presents the award to Keith Andrews Trucks technical adviser Matt Gillatt.

Whangarei's Matt Gillatt has won the 2016 Mercedes-Benz Truck Australia/New Zealand Technician of the Year award.

The 31-year-old from Keith Andrews Trucks service centre, managed to fend off four other finalists, all from Australia, in an extremely tight contest of the best Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicle technicians.

Mr Gillatt, who is currently a technical adviser at both the Whangarei and Auckland Keith Andrews Trucks workshops, says he feels pretty good to have received the award especially after gaining the Mercedes-Benz truck diagnostic technician certification earlier this year.

"The success is awesome. I feel very proud to have done this for Keith [Andrews]. It's great to wave the company flag especially after all the investment and support they have given me."

Keith Andrews Trucks service manager Jason Chambers says the achievement is amazing.

"We knew he had a pretty good chance especially with the level of certification he had reached [in Mercedes-Benz technical diagnostics].

"But he is also good on all brands [of vehicle], he has a real knack and extremely good at what he does," Mr Chambers said.

Mr Gillatt is the first New Zealander to reach this level in Mercedes commercial vehicle training, Mr Chambers said.

His career started at NorthTec's pre-trade automotive course in 2003. A little time passed trying to find an apprenticeship and when an opportunity came up at Keith Andrews Trucks he jumped in.

Mr Gillatt's job also involves working closely with apprentices at both sites with practical training.

Mercedes-Benz Truck and Bus Australia and New Zealand director Michael May said he was impressed by the quality of the finalists.

"These five finalists are our best certified Mercedes-Benz Truck diagnostic technicians, the cream of the crop, and it was a fantastic effort from all of them to reach the final," he said.

Matt Gillatt during the competition in Australia. His career started at NorthTec's pre-trade automotive course in 2003.

The one day competition was designed to test many different skills. Each competitor was given a practical test, which required them to detect a fault in a Mercedes-Benz truck and to develop a plan to fix it.

They had to also sit a detailed theory test and work together with the other competitors to solve a problem in a team environment.

Mr Gillatt's prize includes an all-expenses-paid trip to Germany in September to visit Mercedes-Benz's massive truck production plant in Worth, attend the IAA Commercial Vehicles show in Hannover and visit the Mercedes-Benz museum in Stuttgart.

The second place getter will also join him on the trip to Germany.