Training - One of My Favorite Topics

Featured in Muncie Power Quarterly, Issue 4, 2018

Updated December 12, 2018

As a market specialist, I get to meet with customers on a regular basis. In these meetings, I have my list of topics to cover and the one I am most surprised about is how often our training capabilities become the wow topic of my meeting.

First, we have it all for you – online, in person, and on-site at your location. You have the flexibility to move through our training in whichever ways best fit your schedule. And, it’s free! Our training covers our complete product line, applications using our products, useful formulas and more. Those who are responsible for selecting power take-offs (PTOs) and hydraulic components will find our training especially useful. Plus, we offer our training literature and online program in Spanish too.

For most truck dealers, they have one service technician that is their go-to for PTOs. If not, they need to train someone to be that person. For this reason, I always start by discussing our free, online training called M-Power Tech where users can go at their own pace through our 14, training modules. As our director of training and education, Dave Douglass, has said, “The online access makes it possible to get more people educated quickly and at a pace they can set themselves.”

Each online, training lesson takes you around 30 minutes to complete. The information from each of these lessons is then reinforced by a quiz, which requires a score of 80 percent or better to move on to the next lesson. This is where our training literature comes in handy, which you can either download and save to your computer by clicking on the links at the bottom of the page under “Training Literature” or order as a hard copy through our customer service team. There are two pieces of literature that serve as key resources for our training: Understanding Power Take-off Systems and Understanding Truck Mounted Hydraulic Systems.

Next, after the online training, I recommend the Muncie Product and Application School under “In Person” on the training page for our customers, i.e. classroom training – which is held four times a year at either our headquarters in Muncie, Indiana, or our manufacturing division in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The classroom training allows you to ask the instructor questions and get an even better understanding of PTOs and truck mounted hydraulic systems. This training consists of four days of lecture, homework and a test on Thursday to demonstrate your understanding of the material.

My final recommendation is for large customers and large dealers with multiple locations that have 10 or more people that need this type of training. We can bring the classroom to you; all you have to do is provide the classroom space and food and drinks for breaks. Muncie Power covers the travel costs of our instructor, and all materials are shipped ahead of time and at no cost. Upon completion of either of our classroom training or online training program, the participant receives a certificate from Muncie Power Products, designating that they have met all requirements.

Big companies or small companies, they all need training. I have seen this help a service technician increase their knowledge and become a more valued employee, aiding them in the pursuit of their goals.

To access our training on our website, click on the button labeled “Training Programs” located in the middle of our homepage or on “Training” within our drop-down menus located on the homepage under “Support” and “Company.” These links will take you to view the details of our online and classroom training. Once on the training page, you must create an account by clicking on “Create a New Account” button for our online training. After filling in the required fields and creating your account, your account will be verified – at which point you will then be given access to all of our online training modules.

Thanks to our team for putting these training materials and modules together; it has not only made my life easier, but become a great, free resource for others within our industry.

Dave Busser - Market Specialist – Chassis Manufacturers, Dealers & Fleets

Having been in sales management roles for more than 30 years, David Busser has experience working for both domestic and European manufacturing companies. David holds a BSME from the University of Cincinnati and an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University. Outside of work, he is an avid golfer, hiker, duck hunter, outdoorsman, hands-on repair guy and serves as a deacon at his church where he helps run a ministry that assists with simple home repairs. David and his wife, Judy, have been married for 36 years and have three grown children – Molly, Jake and Max. In their free time, he and his wife enjoy traveling and visiting family and friends.