WATERTOWN, SD — Equipment dealers, utilities, and utility contractors recently participated in hands-on service training for digger derricks and aerial devices at the Terex Utilities Service School at the Lake Area Technical College facility.

The three-day event was at capacity with 48 participants and a waiting list. Participants were either technicians or technician trainers, ranging from just months to decades of experience.

Participants rotated through six stations, which covered Hi-Ranger TM, 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.

Many of the aerial devices and digger derrick models that were used during the service school are models that are in high demand in the field. “A lot of times we can’t get access to these units to do training with our technicians on things like testing hydraulic over-pressurization and cycle times," said Mark Jones, Technical Training Instructor from Ring Power in Florida. "These are things that we would like to teach our technicians, and I’m able to do it here and it’s hands-on."

Dakotah Stewart, Lead Technician for Custom Truck One Source in Oklahoma adds: “When it comes to inspections, there are certain tests that can be performed that confirm if something needs to be repaired, even if the item doesn't initially appear to require it.”

Jones appreciated learning about the leveling system on the TM125. “You can read about it all day long in the Terex Tech Tips, but until you actually do it with the tooling in the lab, until then it is just knowledge. When you take that knowledge and put it together with the lab then it becomes skill,” he said.

Jones praised Terex Utilities for the resources available on its website and the personal service he receives. “The Tech Tips provide an indispensable amount of info for technicians to use. It is easy to access the info, easy to download,” he said. “When you call Terex, you get to talk to a person. You don’t have to use an automated phone system. They walk you through a consistent troubleshooting process. They are very professional and easy to deal with."

Likewise, being able to meet Terex Services technicians in person was one of the highlights for Stewart. “We call Terex Services team members all the time and they always help us get problems fixed but getting to meet the people you have been talking to is really valuable,” he said. Stewart came to the Training School with a list of specific questions related to equipment repairs waiting for him back home. “Being able to have them show me, hands-on, means that I’ll be able to go back and get the equipment on the road in half the time and labor.”