WATERTOWN, SD — The product support team at Terex Utilities hosted 58 participants from equipment dealers, utilities, and utility contractors from all across the United States and Canada. Held at the Lake Area Technical College Facility, instructors from the Terex Utilities Service School provided hands-on training for digger derricks and aerial devices.

While the training is geared toward technicians, many individuals who have responsibility for various aspects of spec’ing, parts management, or sales, can benefit from this hands-on learning experience. In addition, the experience level of the technicians ranged from just weeks to 29 years on the job.

“Technicians are able to learn from our instructors so they can stay current on best practices in order to be more efficient. Individuals in roles that support technicians get the chance to meet the Terex Utilities tech support team in person so they can get to know them if they ever do have to call for assistance,” said Kenny Vlasman, Customer Service Manager at Terex Utilities.

Participants rotated through 12 different stations, which were held in shop bays, in classrooms, and outside. Stations included instruction on the Hi-Ranger TM Series, Optima, and Commander products. In addition to general troubleshooting, maintenance, and inspections, other sessions took deep dives into chassis controllers, aerial device leveling systems, and digger derrick planetary rotation and hydraulic overload protection.

Mike Sherman, Technical Support Manager for Commercial Utility Equipment in Canada said that there were many valuable takeaways from the training experience. “This is the best training I’ve done for utility equipment, and I’ll be able to use what I learned this week to better support our customers and help them troubleshoot and find the root of the problem," he said. "The instructors referenced 30-40 different Tech Tips during the sessions, and each one was so critical to know about because they could save you hours of your time trying to figure out an issue and thousands of dollars."

“It’s a great refresher to go through hands-on training when given the chance," said Aubrey Fortenberry, Fleet Coordinator from Coserv Electric. "Going through the hydraulics and schematics step-by-step with instructors and hearing them break things down helps me to be more efficient. There are things taught in these classes and in the Tech Tips that expand on standard training materials. Those tips and the connections that I have made with everyone throughout the week are invaluable. It's so important to have a network of people you can call when you need help."