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at its plant in High Point, N.C. “In my mind, that’s priceless because it makes more sense to a technician when they see things go together,” said Mike Sto- tler, Tomas’ manager of service education, “If a picture is worth 1,000 words, a tour is worth 500,000 words.”
Going to the Customer Stotler said he believes the High Point,
N.C., manufacturer’s Tomas Built Institute for technicians provides an added edge in the competitive market. Started in 2009, it involves bringing district technicians to the factory and a traveling training session. Tis year, two sessions were held — one in Greensboro and another at the STN EXPO in Reno, Nev. Similar programs are offered
at Blue Bird and IC Bus. Te Tomas training includes an introduc-
tion to alternative fuels and gives technicians information they need to know if their dis- trict is considering such a move. It also shows them some of the latest tools and techniques to make their work go faster and easier. “Te most popular event is the one here
where they get all the same training and also get to do a full factory tour. In my mind, that’s priceless because it makes more sense to a technician when they see things go together,” Stotler explained. Stotler said the Institute’s objective has
always been to create small groups where technicians can learn from the company’s experts and peers from other districts. “Once a technician gets a better knowledge of a system, they can do diagnostics faster and the bus gets back on the road faster,” he asserted. Frank Giordano, transportation director
for the Clark County (Nev.) School District and co-chair of this year’s STN EXPO, said his staff hasn’t gone to an Institute until this year’s Reno event — where he sent six tech- nicians — because Tomas Built and Blue Bird bring their training right to the district. “Tey do a lot of training on-site that is
written into our specifications,” he added. District-level training also helps get new
...while buses IDLE away time – and money!
or advancing employees up to speed. “Tere always seems to be a new feature on the bus,” said Giordano. “Tey leave it to us to pick the specific training we want. Each year we pick something a little different. And, it’s not always that the product changes but that we have new people and they need that training.” However, he has toured the Tomas Built and Blue Bird factories on numerous occasions. “It’s always very, very interesting. Each
time I focus a little harder on something specific or maybe you’ve seen a problem and you follow that interest to a particular part of the bus,” Giordano offered. “I’m a techie, so all of those things get your interest. I’ve returned with numerous ideas from seeing how other districts outfit their buses and have incorporated that into my specifica- tions and subsequent purchases.” At the IC Bus plant in Tulsa, Tompson
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said factory training and tours are especially important in this day and age of customers getting every last mile out of their fleets because of budget constraints. "Most customers are keeping their buses
longer, and they need training on how to maintain the equipment properly," he added. "Most bus customers want to be 'self-main- tainers,' and many these days have very few spares, so being able to quickly diagnose and repair a unit quickly is a must."
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