Tina Albright
NTEA Board Chair
Vice President – Human Relations & Safety
TBEI
(Lake Crystal, Minnesota)
This article was published in the May 2022 edition of NTEA News.
Coming off of Work Truck Week last month, I mentioned how beneficial the educational program offerings were for sharpening the saw and boosting staff knowledge. There were so many learning opportunities with information and tips to take back to our workplaces, share
with others, and apply directly to our own jobs. But there’s no need to stop there. Did you know NTEA offers a variety of online training tools and resources for our industry with many of them free — or at a reduced cost — for members? Let’s take a look.
Truck Equipment (TE) Electrical Basics
In January, NTEA introduced the second course in its TE Electrical Basics program — DC and AC Voltage — where learners are introduced to the characteristics and sources of alternating and direct current. The first course in the series — Measurement, Safety and Fundamentals — launched last year, focuses on how to use a multimeter to measure voltage, resistance and current, as well as safe practices for working with electricity and fundamentals of electrical theory.
The TE Electrical basics courses, developed in partnership with e-learning platform Electude, were designed for industry professionals as a development tool to increase functional knowledge of truck electrical systems and components. Courses are free to NTEA members and $49 for nonmembers. Visit ntea.com/electricalbasics for more information.
Truck Equipment (TE) 101 and 201
A foundational course in NTEA’s online training offerings is TE101, an introductory course made up of 15 video-based modules covering all aspects of work trucks and the industry, including chassis, powertrains, bodies and cab styles. Topics include:
- Truck Basics
- Truck Powertrains, Axles and GAWR
- Tires, Wheels and Suspension
- Truck Bodies and Electrical
- Truck Technologies
- Truck Certification
And TE 201 is designed for those with technical knowledge seeking a deeper understanding of topics covered in TE 101. Courses include:
- TE201 Certification
- TE201 Powertrain
- TE201 Calibrations, Emissions and Fuel Economy
- TE201 Powertrain Systems
Both programs are free to members and $199 each for nonmembers. For more information, visit ntea.com/te101 or ntea.com/te201.
Commercial vehicle weight calculator tools
Members can also access two commercial vehicle weight calculator tools. NTEA’s Vehicle Center of Gravity and Axle Weight Calculator provides vehicle specification and weight information that can be used to produce information to share with customers when upfitting or modifying a vehicle. This resource is free to members, but not available to the public.
NTEA also partnered with TruckScience to offer their cloud-based Axle Weight Calculator app, a next-level solution for companies with more complex project needs — providing a higher level of functionality and support. Association members receive a discounted annual subscription rate from TruckScience.
Learn more about both vehicle weight calculator tools at ntea.com/weightcalculatortools.