Training Centers

When Joe Numero built the first transport refrigeration unit – and ultimately Thermo King Corporation – in 1938, he had the foresight to establish criteria to help his small company grow. Numero proclaimed that for Thermo King to be successful, it needed to assure that service from trained technicians and genuine parts would be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week all over the world. Numero's philosophy stuck with the company.

Sixty years later Thermo King has centers to train dealer and customer technicians in Brussels, Belgium; Campinas, Brazil; Shenzhen, China; Galway, Ireland; and Minneapolis, Minn. The company also has satellite operations in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is in numerous partnerships with vocational and technical colleges across the United States. Training is offered to dealer and customer technicians around the world – at dealer locations, customer locations, training centers and other off-site locations. Without a doubt, Thermo King is dedicated to training people on how to best service and maintain its products.

A Matter of Investment

"We've always looked at training as an investment. An investment in our product, our people and our future," said Thermo King Manager, Education and Training, Carol Bengtson. "The keys to any successful transport operation are quality product, on-going service and equipment maintenance." Bengtson, who has been with

Thermo King for nearly 30 years, has been committed to the development of people since the day he arrived. "The business of transport refrigeration maintains and improves the living standards of people all over the world. If we don't have trained individuals who can properly service our equipment, we will alter the lives of those people. We'll also be out of business in a short amount of time."

Vocational Training

In the early 1970s, Thermo King was the first transport refrigeration manufacturer to encourage relationships with outside vocational technical institutes. Today, the company is working more intensively than ever with leading technical institutions such as Davis Applied Technology Center, Kayesville, Utah; Nashville Auto-Diesel College, Nashville, Tenn.; Universal Technical Institute in Glendale Heights, Ill., Phoenix, Ariz. and Houston, Tex.; Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; and Eastern Wyoming College, Torrington, Wyo. Under the new "Partnership in Education" program, Thermo King assists schools in a number of ways such as providing training videos, refrigeration tools and equipment. Thermo King also augments instruction and develops curriculum. Factory educational personnel are available to the school, and individual course registration fees are waived for school instructors who can then pass on enhanced knowledge to their students. "It's important to be updated on the latest technology and improvements in transport refrigeration," said Eastern

Wyoming College instructor Tracy Stromberg, who recently took a two-week course. "The course was excellent and provided insight that will definitely help us to offer the best possible instruction in our classes." Data indicates an increasing number of transport refrigeration graduates from technical schools and colleges are staying in the industry. Thermo King dealers benefit as well. Bengtson forwards graduating class lists to dealers as a resource for finding qualified technicians.

Dealer Training

Dealer-exclusive training courses offered by Thermo King have increased steadily over the past five years. "Our objective is to support dealerships with not only the best product on the market but also the highest quality personnel to maintain and service that product," said Bengtson. "Numerous courses are offered for all levels of technicians. A new program we started in 1997, CERTI-TECH, is one I'm really excited about. Through this program, technicians earn a certification title: certified, professional, master or specialist. It's an extremely difficult program, with each level bringing more challenges to the technicians. CERTI-TECH establishes an industry-wide benchmark for competence. But the result is positive for everyone. Customers recognize that trained and certified technicians are working on their equipment. Dealers appreciate the trained and certified technicians working for them. And technicians are proud of their skills and accomplishments.

Customer Education

A share of the training at the Minneapolis training center is end-user-related. "Customers who have their own service bays will send technicians to us when their local Thermo King dealer sponsors them. As long as the person is sponsored by a Thermo King dealer, he or she can attend." Training sessions are held at dealership locations as well, which work better for customers who simply need basic operating and maintenance training on a new unit.

Green Hills, Pa.-based Penske Truck Leasing is a long-time customer that takes advantage of Thermo King's training. "We send our people to the Minneapolis training center, to the Salt Lake City operation, to dealer locations and to other designated training locations," explained Ed Guinther, Penske manager of technical training. "The entire Thermo King training staff has worked with us to set up non-stereotypical training when necessary. Staff members have even developed special short sessions for our people simply to review the basics. The quality of the training is always good."

For more information on Thermo King's training programs, contact your local Thermo King dealer.