The inaugural class of the Peterbilt Technician Institute graduated all 10 students representing six dealer groups, Peterbilt Motors Company recently announced. According to the company, all 10 participants in the program graduated and will now begin careers with Peterbilt dealerships throughout the country.
"Congratulations to each graduate of the first ever Peterbilt Technician Institute and welcome to the Peterbilt team," said Darrin Siver, Peterbilt general manager and PACCAR vice president, who spoke to the graduating class. "These graduates are now equipped to not only service Peterbilt vehicles and PACCAR Engines, but to embrace the standards of customer satisfaction, professionalism and operational efficiencies that make Peterbilt and its dealer network leaders in complete customer care."
All graduates received a certificate of completion from the Peterbilt Technician Institute as well as 10 other Peterbilt training certificates, including the PACCAR MX-13 Engine training certification.
The 12-week program, held in conjunction with Universal Technical Institute at the school’s Dallas/Fort Worth campus, featured exclusive classroom and hands-on instruction of total vehicle diagnostics, maintenance and repairs, as well as essential education in customer service, dealership shop operations and laws and regulations. Course work was also conducted at Peterbilt’s Denton (Texas) training center and manufacturing facility and a PacLease service facility in Dallas.
The graduation ceremony included 65 attendees and was followed by a tour of Peterbilt’s Denton factory.
The Peterbilt Technician Institute is planned to expand to other locations nationwide. It is part of UTI’s Manufacturer Specific Advanced Training (MSAT). The program is among the most comprehensive of its kind and will help ensure students graduate with working knowledge of the latest tools, technologies and diagnostic programs. The Peterbilt Technician Institute – which focuses on the complete lineup of Peterbilt vehicles and PACCAR Engines – will have a dedicated UTI instructor and Peterbilt will provide additional instructors for the courses, as well as trucks, components and software for students to work with.
"This is a proven, innovative way to address the industry shortage of truck technicians and to provide our dealerships with trained, qualified service professionals who are ready to work," says Peyton Harrell, Peterbilt’s director of dealer development. "Our entire network of 270-plus dealerships throughout North America is excited about the Peterbilt Technician Institute and as the program expands, we anticipate every dealership to sponsor students for PTI. Graduates are offered employment with a Peterbilt dealership and this will help maintain our tradition of staffing the industry’s most highly trained and capable technicians available. Our customers expect the best service experience possible and this program will help Peterbilt and its dealers surpass those expectations."
