Twelve technicians took the first DP weeklong training session on the RR/RD 5200/5200S Series reach truck. DP marks the move away from traditional classroom lecture-based training towards a more hands-on, performance-based approach.

The new philosophy has participants excited. "This is realistic training because it’s like doing a real service call," said one veteran technician. Another technician said, "You know the material because you've really got to do it."

Participants work through a series of self-paced modules that cover all aspects of the lift truck from planned maintenance procedures to troubleshooting the electrical system. They learn and practice at their own rate using an actual truck. When ready, the technicians demonstrate their ability to perform the skill before moving on to the next module.

"Learn it. Do it. Use it. That describes the philosophy behind the program very well," says Service Training Manager Jerry Rebuck. He says participants "Learn It" by reading the module, reviewing the reference material and practicing the required skills. Then they "Do It" by performing a skill check for their instructor to demonstrate their ability to perform the skill. This prepares them to bring their newly acquired skills back to their job and "Use It" to improve the uptime and reliability of Crown lift trucks.

Class sizes are smaller than in the past and the instructor-student ratio has been lowered, resulting in an improved learning opportunity. The Crown Education Center enhances the learning experience, offering the proper classroom, workshops and demo environment. "Now you can actually see if a technician can do a specific task," says Rebuck.

DP received a good reception after it was "field tested" at Crown Schaumburg. "After hearing about it from other technicians, we had several techs volunteer to be in the next class. That’s quite a compliment," says Gene Hoffman, a DP instructor from Schaumburg.