We bet that when Mark O’Dwyer started his apprenticeship with us at Hallam Truck Centre in 2003, he would not have imagined featuring in Prime Mover Magazine almost 20 years later, after winning ‘Technician of Year’ back-to-back - taking out Kenworth’s Technician of the Year for 2022 and last year, DAF’s Technician of the Year. We could not be prouder!

The Prime Mover Magazine article showcases Mark’s achievements and skills throughout the PACCAR Australia competition, as well as delving into his career at Hallam Truck Centre and why he chooses to work with our supportive and dedicated team.   

Mark’s blood runs automotive industry, where prior to starting with us he devoted time in school holidays working at ReCar Truck Repairs to gain experience in what would be his future career. 

Fast forward to now, even in his spare time he is working on engines – where he is currently building a street rod based on a 1941 Dodge pickup, performing all the fabrication, bodywork, and paint jobs himself. Prime Mover suggests this ‘hobby’ will work in his favour when he heads to Bathurst in October to join the Supercars’ Team 18 as a garage crew member – an added incentive for the first-place winner of Kenworth Technician of the Year.

Mark began his career as an apprentice right here at Hallam Truck Centre. “I started as an apprentice here at Hallam in 2003 which was right at the beginning of electronics in commercial vehicles,” Mark recalls.

In the article, Mark describes how as an auto electrician by trade, he’s watched the world of electronics in trucks progress from basic fuel control to now controlling practically everything in the trucks. This means, that as the industry progresses in technology, so does his knowledge base.

“I am still an auto electrician and I’m one of those guys who takes on everything. Being a dealer, we win all the hard stuff which is a good challenge. I enjoy figuring out how to fix the hard stuff and it’s good when you finally figure out something no one else has been able to diagnose or repair. It’s obviously rewarding when you get to the bottom of it,” says Mark. 

With all that knowledge he has gathered over years, it is a clear sign as to why he was awarded the title of top dog!

With a passion to progress and learn, Mark recently took on the role of supervisor for the pre-delivery department, a role that has taken him off the tools half the time now.

“I’ve sort of slid out of the workshop diagnostic side of things lately but I’m still looking after the other three auto electricians here as well as a first-year apprentice,” he says.

“In addition to running the pre-delivery department, I am often carrying out electrical fit-ups of components in new trucks. Some of these European trucks can test me out a little bit. The DAF is more diagnostic centered with computers, whereas with a Kenworth there is still a lot more visual work looking for issues,” Mark explains to Prime Mover. 

Over the past few years Mark has regarded the development and availability of the PACCAR MX engines in some Kenworth models as a move which hasn’t created many challenges for technicians, despite using ‘metric’ engines in ‘imperial’ chassis.

“Because we are a DAF dealer as well, we are pretty used to them, and now with the new Kenworth T410s it’s pretty seamless,” Mark says.

The widespread shortage of diesel technicians in our industry remains at the forefront of conversations and Mark believes he understands one of the fundamental problems that has led to this.

“From what I can tell, young kids today are just going off into the building trades or want to work with computers. Unless they have grown up in a family with trucks, they are not interested in working with trucks and they are just not interested in the trade unless they have had exposure to it,” he says. 

“Many apprentices we get through here have got a truck background. We need to show them that you can have a great career as a technician that can lead to many other positions in the industry.”

Mark considers the truck industry to have a range of opportunities and it’s wonderful to hear that he appreciates the support Hallam Truck Centre and PACCAR have provided him.

In the article, Mark goes on to talk about how the support of PACCAR group and Hallam Truck Centre led him to a range of opportunities over his career, and describes the PACCAR Technician of the Year competition requirements and the steps he took to smash the competition and win the title!

You can read more about Mark’s win at the PACCAR Technician of the Year Awards here. 

To read the Prime Mover Magazine article click here.