Volvo VISTA: On the Road to Gothenburg
General
Volvo VISTA, or the Volvo International Service Award, is a global contest where participants from 100+ countries demonstrate their technical mastery and develop advanced skills in a high-stakes competition.
Participants take part in teams of two to four people, and the competition starts with two parts of theoretical questions, which teams complete in their workshops. After these two parts, the best performing teams qualify for the Semifinals in Brazil, Italy, and the USA. The top-performing teams qualify for the World Final in Gothenburg, Sweden.
We sat down with technicians ahead of this year’s competition to hear what the road to Gothenburg required.
Building teamwork and knowledge at Vista
While VISTA is a competition, the main objective is to encourage teamwork, build team spirit, and encourage self-improvement. Since the start, VISTA has been a great way for aftermarket personnel to expand their knowledge and improve their skills.
Stephen Smith traveled to Gothenburg from Regina, Saskatchewan. His team, “Adaptive Crews,” represented Sterling Truck & Trailer Sales LTD. He said that competing with his team in VISTA wasn’t so different from working with them at the shop.
“Well, we're always a team in the dealership anyway, and maybe in a different format at VISTA. You're setting up four people together, and you're delegating this and that, but you're always working as a team.”
The difference is the competition. The high-stakes environment puts the pressure on, but Smith said that the stress can also be an inspiration.
“When you're working under pressure, you find different ways to do things, to find things, to find answers.”
Sergio Galdamez, who competed alongside teammate Randall Wiebe of the “REGENERATES” from the Beaver Truck Centre dealership in Winnipeg, Manitoba, felt that same pressure. However, he agreed that it brings his team closer together.
“They make it tougher every year, and this year it took a lot from the team perspective. It bonded us a little bit more, and we had to dig deep to get the right answers as best we could.”
Putting skills to the test
Volvo VISTA also encourages participants to go all out in putting their skills to the test. Adam Sigouin, also with “Adaptive Crews,” described VISTA's preliminary rounds: “It's not the typical day-to-day stuff. It makes you dig deep into things you normally wouldn't go after.”
Galdamez agreed and added that it was valuable to have hands-on experience with electric trucks at this year’s bootcamp in Greensboro, North Carolina. Teams from across North America gathered in Greensboro for this training, including the “Assistive Crews,” “REGENERATES,” and “~~~VN4~~~” from Bruckner’s Truck and Equipment in Dallas, Texas.
"It's good to have this type of bootcamp so we can actually put our hands on one of them and then prepare as best as we can,” Galdamez said. The training his team and others completed in Greensboro prepared them to take on Gothenburg with a stronger strategy and more confidence in their skills.
Gothenburg 2026
Everyone who takes part in VISTA, no matter how skilled they are, learns something new from being involved. While VISTA is a competition, everyone who participates gets something from the experience, and anyone who makes it to Gothenburg has proven themselves to be at the very top of their field.
Congratulations to this year’s winners!
- Champion: Derma X-Power (Belgium)
- Second Place (Runner-up): Team Thaur (Austria)
- Third Place: The Underdogs (Netherlands)