FleetPride Inc., a heavy-duty trucking industry aftermarket parts distributor, is taking its FleetPride NationWide training tour on the road -- to technicians in the field.

Anchoring the tour will be three 28-foot TechTrailers that have been outfitted with an array of hands-on training aids, including working heavy-duty components and cutaway product displays. Major sponsors of the trailers include ArvinMeritor and Haldex Brake Systems.
Pulled by one-ton vans or pick-ups, these mobile classrooms allow FleetPride to take training to the customers. The trailers' swing-down rear doors allow technicians easy access and create an open environment.
Inside each TechTrailer, technicians will find a complete and working air-brake demonstration system designed to duplicate a typical air-brake system as closely as possible. Technicians will be able to openly view how heavy vehicle air-brake systems are designed, how they operate and -- most important -- they'll learn how to diagnose and service them.
Bob Jennings, FleetPride's vice president of sales and marketing, explained a few of the reasons why FleetPride developed and invested in the NationWide Training Tour.
"Training on OEM systems and components is readily available for technicians who work at truck dealerships," said Jennings, "and while some of that may be passed along to fleet customers, we recognized that across the country there are very few comprehensive and accessible training programs for aftermarket fleet parts customers."
Jennings said existing aftermarket training clinics, especially those centered on brake systems, often achieve their goal of teaching the theory of how brakes work, but usually lack the ability to visually demonstrate the system in operation. That can leave gaps in a technician's complete understanding, and result in less productive technicians or misdiagnosed problems.
"Overhead slides, handouts and illustrated charts are important, useful and belong in a training program, but the training shouldn't stop there," said Jennings. "Unfortunately, not only is it difficult to get a full tractor-trailer combination into a typical training location, but there's only so much that a student can see when everything is still assembled on the truck. We've solved that problem with our TechTrailer."
Every component found in a modern air-brake system has been incorporated into the TechTrailer’s demonstration board, including a compressor, air dryer, brake lines and valves, slack adjusters, brake chambers and even an electronic control module for learning about and diagnosing problems with antilock braking systems.
"Few components are as critical on a truck as the brake system," said Jennings. "For that reason the FleetPride TechTrailers focus on the brake and the wheel-end systems. Through our participating vendor sponsors, technicians will be able to earn their air-brake certification after attending specific classes."
To provide a high level of training, skilled and experienced instructors from select manufacturers will meet the TechTrailer when it arrives at a designated FleetPride store or customer location. This not only ensures that questions posed by technicians will be answered correctly and completely, but it also provides an opportunity for manufacturers to receive direct and immediate feedback from students on how training material can be improved or expanded.
The first TechTrailer will be traveling throughout the northeast and southeast regions of the country for the remainder of 2003. When the second trailer is ready, it will make its way around the southwest and western sections of the U.S.
FleetPride has set a rigorous training schedule that foresees a minimum of 600 training sessions annually -- whether at a FleetPride location, an offsite meeting facility or on board the TechTrailer. The company estimates that, during a full year, the program will provide needed training for more than 10,000 technicians.
More information on the FleetPride NationWide Training Tour and schedule can be obtained by visiting FleetPride at www.fleetpride.com or by phoning the company at (866) 4FleetPride.