Logan King Now Lead Technician at GTG Peterbilt

Written by: Caleb Sanderson

Before graduating from the Diesel Technology program at Butler Community College, Ponca City native Logan King secured a technician position at Grask Truck Group (GTG) Peterbilt in Wichita. Less than two years later, the company invested in the Butler graduate by sending him to Peterbilt Technician Institute (PTI) in Texas with paid tuition and housing. He now serves as a lead technician at GTG, mentoring and leading other technicians.

As a lead tech, Logan is responsible for aiding and guiding other technicians. “I like seeing them pick up things and learn as they go. When my guys need help, they come ask me and we figure it out together. They have somebody to go to; that’s me,” Logan stated.

King’s work affects the trucking industry locally and nationally. From area trash trucks to coastal trucks, drivers, companies and consumers count on King and other GTG techs to keep diesel vehicles in running, efficient shape.

Growing up on an Oklahoma farm, Logan worked on tractors and trucks, fueling his love for the craft. With support from his mom and grandfather, King decided to change his career path from medicine to his passion, leading him to Butler’s Diesel Tech program.

“Just the sound of it, just everything about it. I love everything about it,” King said about his line of work.

King received hands-on instruction in Butler’s Diesel Tech program, such as splitting a tractor chassis, rebuilding an engine and testing injectors. As part of the second class to graduate from the program, he believes Lead Instructor Todd Williams and other Diesel instructors made feedback and communication a priority.

While in the program, Logan was free to make mistakes that aided his learning. With this learning style, King felt more confident to focus on assessing and solving mechanical situations without fear of repercussions. This confidence carried over to his current position, where he is now the one helping others learn. “It’s nice, you know, to have that leeway. It really helped me be more patient with my guys and how to look at something. Even if I didn’t know what was going on, I sit there, stay calm and I generally figure [it out].”

King credits both Williams and GTG Peterbilt Vice President Andrew Hoffman for the calm, experienced lead tech he is today. Williams helped get King into contact with Hoffman and still remains in contact with his former student. Hoffman offered King a position before he even graduated.  

Shortly after Hoffman expressed interest in Logan, he offered Logan a technician position to help him start in the industry. “Andy, he’s the one who wanted to hire me. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have jumped [into the field].”

“Logan has been a fantastic addition to our team in Wichita,” Hoffman said. “He is very inquisitive and enjoys digging into the root cause of an issue to learn as much as he can about it. He has tremendous integrity and work ethic that has made him a great choice for continued education. He has a very bright future with GTG Peterbilt.”

With a parting note about the future demand of his job, Logan declared, “They’re always going to need somebody to fix [engines] because a robot can’t fix and diagnose with their fingers. A robot may be able to put it together, but it can’t fix it once it breaks.”