After 70 years in the moving industry, Team U-Haul knows what it takes to keep our trucks and trailers running smoothly … and it’s much more involved than regular oil changes and accurate tire pressure.
Since the launch of the U-Haul Technician Training Program, shop team members are better equipped to keep up with this ever-changing field. Thanks to these hardworking team members, U-Haul equipment is serviced efficiently and then is back on the road, helping customers with their moving adventure.
To honor their contributions to the Company, U-Haul News will be highlighting team members who hold the title of U-Haul Trained Master Technician. To earn this title, a technician must complete all of the training courses and pass the mastery exams in each of the specialty areas of the U-Haul Technician Training Program. It’s the pinnacle of all U-Haul technicians, and not everyone can claim this prestigious distinction. Mike Hamilton, pre-inspection specialist of Kar-Go Service Center Denver, is one who can.
Meet Mike
I was born in Denver, Colorado, and moved to San Diego when I was 13 years old. After high school, I attended Cuyamaca College in El Cajon, California. While there, one of my instructors offered me a job with a GMC dealership, and that was the start of my automotive career. In 2000, I became an Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) master technician.
After living in San Diego for most my life, I moved back to Denver in 2003. In 2004, I started with U-Haul. I’ve held the positions of preventive maintenance (PM) technician, mechanical express, repair dispatch specialist and pre-inspector.
I learned about the Master Technician Training Program and started the classes in my spare time. The Master Technician Training Program is a good starting point for shop team members who want to become better at their jobs. I think that as it evolves and more technicians get involved it can do nothing but good for our Company.
Prior to the Master Technician Training Program, I had taken some of the online courses, but trying to find the course that would benefit me was the problem. The program took care of that. It organized all the classes into an easy-to-follow format.
I highly recommend this program to every shop team member. You should never stop learning; it will have a direct impact on your work. Give it a try! Don’t be afraid to start. If you get stuck, ask for help. There are plenty of people out there who can help, from others at your shop to the Tech Center.
Shop manager praise
“As soon as Mike heard about the U-Haul Master Technician Training Program, he took it upon himself to get through the program and get certified without any coaxing from me,” recalled Shop 184 Manager Bill Fuller. “That is just the type of guy he is. He’s a perfectionist. He likes things done, and he likes them done right—which is probably why he was the second U-Haul Trained Master Technician.
“Mike has worked through multiple positions at the shop and has done well in each position,” Fuller continued. “I call Mike my CSI technician because I use this guy in multiple situations, whether it’s trying to figure out something or evaluate a breakdown.
“He is a huge asset that I rely on in everything from training, mobile repair unit (MRU) and area field manager (AFM) technical training,” Fuller praised. “It’s nice to have a guy who you can announce at an end-of-month (EOM) meeting is here to help you with any questions about U-Haul equipment.”
Congratulate Mike on becoming a U-Haul Trained Master Technician in the comments!
