The Tire Industry Association (TIA) is partnering with a retreading authority and releasing two new training programs in its continuing efforts to improve tire safety.
They announced the news at the 2019 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show.
TIA’s new partner is the Tread Rubber and Tire Repair Materials Manufacturers Group (TRMG). The partnership gives TRMG a new channel for making its retread and repair recommended practices available to the industry: the TIA website. The TRMG recommended practices will be located on the resources page at www.tireindustry.org.
TRMG membership is comprised of the top retread, repair and equipment manufacturers in North America. The recommended practices address a variety of subjects related to retreading and repairing and will be available for download for use in training or other educational pursuits.
“We are proud to partner with TRMG to bring their recommended practices to more people in the retread and repair industries,” says TIA President Brian Rigney. “Their members have invested a lot of time and resources in developing these training and educational resources, so we are excited about broadening the potential market for this valuable information.”
TRMG has 18 recommended practices, including the all-encompassing Industry Recommended Practices for Tire Retreading and Repairing in both English and Spanish. This information is intended for retread plants and commercial tire dealers that provide tire repair services.
2 new training programs
TIA has also developed two training programs designed for industry professionals who do not service consumer and commercial tires themselves but can benefit from introductory training on how it is done. Both programs are available through TIA’s On-Line University.
The new 100-Level Intro to Automotive Tire Service (ATS) is designed for industry professionals who do not service tires but need introductory training into the tools, procedures and guidelines for servicing passenger and light truck tire and wheel assemblies. Intro to ATS is available only through TIA’s On-Line University.
“There are a lot of people in the tire industry who need an introduction to passenger and light truck tire service even though they do not change tires,” says Rigney. “Intro to ATS gives them the background information they need to understand the basic guidelines and procedures for servicing automotive tire assemblies.”
Intro to ATS is comprised of five modules: Passenger and Light Truck Tires; Passenger and Light Truck Rims, Wheels and Hubs; Passenger and Light Truck Tire Service; TPMS; and Sales. Each module provides an overview of the subject without going into the detailed step-by-step procedures that technicians need.
The Sales module is focused on the general steps to selling a tire to provide students with tips that will help them when working with prospective customers. The goal is to help non-technicians get a better understanding of passenger and will result in better customer service and increased productivity.
“We’ve noticed an educational gap in the industry where promises made at the sales counter cannot be fulfilled in the shop,” says Kevin Rohlwing, TIA senior vice president of training. “Intro to ATS bridges that gap so sales and office personnel have the same foundational training as technicians.”
Basic training on commercial tires
The new 100-Level Intro to CTS Program is designed for industry professionals who do not service tires but need introductory training into the tools, procedures and guidelines for servicing medium truck, earthmover, farm and industrial tire and wheel assemblies. Intro to CTS is available only through through the On-Line University.
“The commercial tire industry encompasses a lot more than truck tires, so Intro to CTS provides an overview of the different types of assemblies typically serviced by truck tire dealers,” says Rigney“Intro to CTS is actually a combination of the commercial, earthmover, farm and industrial tire programs so non-technicians understand the basic terminology, applications and service requirements for a wide range of tires, rims and wheels.”
Intro to CTS is comprised of six modules: Truck Tires; Single/Multi-Piece Rims; Truck Tire Service; Off-Road Tires; Off-Road Wheels & Rims; and Off-Road Service. The truck tire modules are focused on medium commercial tires, while the off-road modules address earthmover/OTR, farm/agricultural and industrial. All of the modules present an overview of the subject without going into the step-by-step procedural details.
“Initially, Intro to CTS was going to focus on truck tires,” says Rohlwing. “After a lot of discussion at the board level, we decided to include earthmover, farm and industrial tires, since most of our commercial tire dealer members sell and service all four categories. “Intro to CTS will be a valuable educational tool for commercial tire dealer employees as they interact with customers.”
Intro to ATS and Intro to CTS are only available for TIA members via TIA’s Online University for $50 a year per location with an unlimited subscription. Licensing agreements also are available for companies with their own online learning platforms.
About TIA:
The Tire Industry Association, with a 99-year history representing all segments of the national and international tire industry, is the leading advocate, as well as, instructor in technical training of tire service technicians. For more information, visit www.tireindustry.org or call 800-876-8372.
