The Tire Industry Association (TIA) calls its six weeks of free Automotive Tire Service (ATS) video conference webinars that were held in May and June “a huge hit.” More than 800 people from all segments of the tire industry and different parts of the world registered for the 30-minute classes.
TIA reports that 26% of those who registered were technicians, with the remainder a mix of suppliers, manufacturers, distributors and vocational instructors.
TIA based the webinars off its highly regarded ATS and Advanced Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) training programs. Classes were taught by full-time TIA instructors. The webinars gave registrants an opportunity to preview TIA’s ATS program and learn about subjects such as vehicle lifting; demounting and mounting; balance; wheel torque; tire repair; and tire pressure monitoring system service.
“We are pleased with the results of the ATS webinars,” says TIA President Brian Rigney. “A major part of our mission is to improve tire safety through training and education. These free online training classes are a perfect example of how TIA remains focused on that mission during COVID-19 by stepping up to support our members and the industry. In the process, we discovered a new vehicle for delivering TIA training that complements our existing certification classes and online university e-learning platforms.”
The classes were conducted via the Zoom platform, which allowed students to ask questions of their instructors in real time. Instructors stayed after class to work with students who wanted to get their questions answered in greater detail.
“Due to the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, we recognized early on we had to make some adjustments to our training model,” says Kevin Rohlwing, TIA senior vice president of training. “When we had a discussion after one of the first classes with an automotive repair shop on the island of Guam, it became obvious that the video conference approach creates new avenues for delivering TIA instructor-led training on multiple levels without any geographical barriers or travel concerns. Moving forward, it’s another tool in the toolbox for TIA to improve tire safety in the shop and on the highway.”
TIA will offer a similar three-week, free video conference webinar series in July directed at fleets that use mounted tire programs and the commercial tire dealers who provide those services.
The webinars will run from July 7-21 and will provide registrants the opportunity to preview TIA’s Commercial Tire Service (CTS) training program at no charge. Three topics will be covered, one each week. They include:
- Week 1, July 7-10: Truck tire and wheel inspection, including tread depth, out-of-service conditions, inflation pressure and wheel conditions;
- Week 2, July 14-16: Truck tire inflation, including air pressure maintenance, the effects of under-inflation and over-inflation, tire inflation safety and OSHA regulations; and
- Week 3, July 21-23: Wheel torque, which will cover the relationship between torque and clamping force, plus hub-pilot installation procedures and torque check guidelines.
For questions regarding the CTS Fleet Tire Safety Training Webinars and TIA training/certification, contact [email protected] or register at https://www.tireindustry.org/fleet-tire-service-webinars
