Opening across the country, new driver training centers use key technology to take qualified drivers’ skills to a higher level. Using highly sophisticated driving simulators plus computer-based learning, GE Capital’s new I-Sim division is opening initially in seven cities to bring this training to trucking operations nationwide.
According to I-Sim CEO Mark Stulga, interviewed at the opening of the Greater Los Angeles driver training center, the goal of the I-Sim division is to assist GE Capital customers run their trucking operations in a safer, more efficient manner by improving driver skills.

But with these centers in place, a wider objective is to extend their value to any operation that relies on professional drivers. To that end, the I-Sim courses even include skills enhancement for emergency and enforcement personnel who must maintain a sharp edge driving patrol cars.
Each of the centers, currently opening in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Philadelphia and Salt Lake City as well as the Los Angeles facility in Anaheim, has classrooms, a computer learning center and separate simulator training areas. The technology allows for a concentrated learning/refresher experience that can be compressed into a short few hours. But the short course is all it takes, says Justin Boyle, I-Sim General Manager, because using state-of-the-art tools guarantees learning retention is very high. Most drivers come away from the sessions giving them a good or excellent rating, he says.
GE Capital acquired I-Sim around a year ago and has been building its training division around I-Sim’s already-developed simulator technology. For a truck driver, the training centerpiece is the Mark II simulator, which features a truck cab mounted on an electro-hydraulic platform that duplicates much of the feel of a truck going down the road. During the Anaheim launch, guests were able to try this simulator for themselves. Located in a large, darkened area within the high-ceilinged factory-unit, they were able to view video projected ahead and to both sides of the truck cab to give a realistic driving experience. Adding to the simulator’s effectiveness are rear-view mirrors that are video monitors showing a simulated rearward view to both sides.
We tried this simulator, selecting to drive a nine-speed instead of the automatic (truck weight, power and transmission can all be dialed in) initially offered. Turning the key and starting up brought a diesel-like rumble and a vibration in the seat as it rose to the ready position. Selecting a gear, pushing in the brake valves and easing up on the clutch got us rolling down the simulated road as a car immediately pulled out in front of us.
And that’s the beauty of the simulator.
While it helps hone driver skills, it also allows for the instructor to throw various unpredictable road situations at the driver and prepare him or her for potential accident situations in the real world. The simulator can also be programmed for wet and icy conditions, high-center loads and other situations with consequences a driver would not want to encounter out on the highway. In the simulator, laying the truck on its side can be cause for great amusement – as on the opening night of the Anaheim facility – where it is quite the opposite on the road.
There are other simulators, too. Based on an Eaton gear-shift trainer introduced several years ago, these also allow for the selection of different powertrain combinations, but the intention is to help train the driver in shift technique and also introduce concepts such as progressive shifting. These simulators also include straight-ahead projection and other views selectable by the instructor. At Anaheim, a unique simulator demonstrated how gearshifting can impact economy, performance and productivity. (It has such a marked effect that we will be developing a feature in detail for RoadStar and Heavy Duty Trucking.)
The computer learning center uses preloaded training materials on fast desktop machines that are easily navigated with clicks of the mouse. We tried a module on speed and space management and found training materials and advice that closely paralleled the feature we published recently in RoadStar magazine. Other modules cover topics from pre-trip inspection through decision driving, hazardous materials, incident response and a host of others.
While the Mark II simulator has to be housed at the training center, some of the other simulators and computer-based learning can be loaded into a truck and taken to a customer’s own site. However, I-Sim CEO Stulga says the best results are obtained when trainees are brought to the I-Sim sites because they are more receptive in the training environment.
I-Sim summarizes the learning package as "decision-based" training, allowing experienced drivers to hone their ability to make the right decision in any driving situation. The aim is to make drivers safer because they can recognize and respond to potential accidents, but they also receive training on vehicle control, and "soft" issues such as the influences of health, family and environment. "Our program lets drivers take classroom learning straight to a real-life simulator," said Stulga. "I-Sim technology allows instructors to correct virtual mistakes before they become reality."
Not only does this improve safety, he says, but it also improves a driver’s efficiency and adds to a fleet’s productivity, making it a win for the driver and the fleet.