---

Past Issues

April 2005

---

NissanDieselAcademy

 

The title of the training manual says it all: "Looking to the future". That's exactly what Nissan Diesel SA is doing via the opening its new R1,5-million training facility in Rosslyn, Pretoria. Patrick O'Leary was there and came away most impressed.

So Nissan Diesel SA has opened a new training facility. So what? Surely that doesn't justify a full article with pictures? Wouldn't a pic and a caption do the trick? Well, back in the 'good old days' when training was the order of the day across the industry, a quick picture/caption might well have sufficed. In today's environment, however, where training is the exception rather than the norm, the opening of this facility stands out as highlighting a number of positives.

Let's start by going back to our July 2004 edition where FleetWatch technical correspondent Dave Scott was quoted as saying that any truck manufacturer/supplier who was focusing on specification and price alone as a major tactic to gain market share, would not cut it. "They need to do something exceptional for the market; something that will give customers a total feeling of security, comfort and well being. They need to wrap their arms around their customers and be there for them as full partners in their businesses."

The point is that the challenge for manufacturers today is not so much putting good product on the market at good prices. They are all pretty much doing that for the simple reason that by not doing so, the competitive nature of the market will soon see to it that a 'bum' product is kicked into touch. Rather, it's the 'extras' in terms of back-up and support that will do the trick and here Nissan Diesel SA has hit the nail on the head.
 

Peter English (left), chairman of the Nissan Diesel Dealer Council and Cameron Roberston, dealer principal of Super Northwest, welcome the Academy as a value added service for dealers and customers.

Driver trainer Henry Halvorsen says driver training is essential to maximise the benefits of new technology trucks such as the UD440.

The new training facility - which is intended to provide staff, dealers and fleet owners, including Nissan Diesel fleet operators associated with the company's dealer network in the rest of southern Africa, with world-class development opportunities through various technical and non-technical training courses - is one of the ways of providing that 'extra' for the customer.

Frans Cloete, executive vice president of operations at Nissan Diesel SA, nutshells the rationale behind the move. "Trucking forms an integral part of the South African economy and it is of great importance to ensure that the wheels of industry and business continue to rotate effectively and productively." It is because of this that one of the most important focus areas of the Nissan Diesel Academy will be to provide comprehensive driver training to the company's network of dealerships and fleet owners across the region. 

"As a manufacturer with a long and proud history in the South African truck industry, we know that the correct and effective operating of a fleet of trucks can make or break a business so aspects such as
as safety, vehicle orientation and effective utilisation of a truck will be key focus areas of the courses."

Cloete rightfully states that safety and effective maintenance of trucks has, of late, become a highly contentious issue and has, in a way, tarnished the industry's image. "Through the Nissan Diesel Academy, fleet owners now have the opportunity to empower their employees to make knowledgeable decisions about the way they operate their trucks on our roads."

There it is. It is all the 'right stuff'. The Academy will also offer non-technical training in three categories, namely, sales, service and parts, as well as a Nissan Diesel Technical Training curriculum which is aimed at all Nissan Diesel technicians and artisans.
 

Customers are obviously going to love this, especially given that the benefits of the new era of truck technology as embodied in the UD 400 and UD 440 can only be maximised through the effective training of drivers. On this point, driver trainer Henry Halvorsen, has some valid comments to make - and let's just say he is the horse's mouth on this one.

Why the horse's mouth? Well, before joining the Academy as driver trainer, Halvorsen was involved for 16 years in the testing of Nissan Diesel trucks working closely with Japanese engineers on ensuring the technology and specifications were suitable for our local conditions. As such, he is adequately well versed in the need for driver training to maximise the productivity of a vehicle - a need which really came to the fore with the introduction of the UD440.

"I noticed that drivers were not maximizing the potential benefits of the new technology in the UD440 and especially with regards to retardation. They needed training and this need is still there today," he tells FleetWatch.

Alarming is that of the many drivers that have gone through his hands over the past year, he reckons only 25% to 30% are better than average. "And there are many who should never be behind the wheel of a vehicle. The fact is that the technology of today's modern trucks is such that you need a skilled driver to operate that vehicle - and there are not many skilled drivers out there."

He cites one example of a client who was experiencing excessive clutch wear and even failure. "When I investigated and tested the drivers over the actual routes, it soon became obvious that it was not the product but the way the product was being handled that was causing the problems. Since training the drivers, the company has eliminated this problem," he says.

It's all about using the in-built technical abilities of the new generation trucks. "The new technology trucks can give huge benefits but you will never achieve them without training your drivers," says Halvorsen.

The dire need for driver training is something FleetWatch has accented for years. In our opinion, there is nowhere near enough training being done and Halvorsen's comments serve to endorse this view.

As for the dealers, they too are happy. Peter English, dealer principal of McCarthy Commercial Vehicles in Boksburg North and chairman of the Nissan Diesel Dealer Council, was there and gave a big thumbs-up to the Academy.

"Today's trucks are a lot more sophisticated that the trucks of old and you need training on them - and this right across the board from salesmen through to technicians and drivers. In McCarthy, we have training schemes but we need product specific training and this is where we welcome the Academy. We see it as really adding value to dealers and customers as, in my opinion, what makes the difference between two products is the back-up services offered. In the case of Nissan Diesel, apart from supplying training through this Academy, they are proving superb when it comes to back-up support and service. When you make the call, they are there."

On the wider front, English has a grave concern about the number of people entering the industry - or more accurately, not entering the industry. "The major problem is that we are not attracting young people. We need to promote this industry as one that not only provides a job but rather a career and training such as is being supplied through this Academy is vital in realizing that goal."

FleetWatch lifts its hat to Nissan Diesel on this initiative. It really is all the right stuff.

Raymond Leach, technical instructor at the Nissan Diesel Training Academy, is a firm believer in training. "We've seen the difference it makes not only to companies but to people's lives," he says.