BOWIE, Md. – The Tire Industry Association (TIA) is adding three weeks of virtual training classes to its December training schedule, the first two weeks highlighting its Automotive Tire Service (ATS) courses and the third week offering a 200-level Basic Commercial Tire Service (CTS) training class.
The first two weeks of virtual training will feature the free ATS webinars that TIA offered earlier this year in May and June. The webinars will take place via Zoom Dec. 1-3 and Dec. 8-10. Each day will feature the same topic for two sessions, one at 11:00 am. and the other at 3:00 p.m. EST. These 30-minute webinars will focus on a different subject each day and are designed for technicians, managers and tire industry personnel. The schedule is as follows:
Tuesday, Dec. 1 – Vehicle Lifting
Wednesday, Dec. 2 – Demount/Mount/Inflate
Thursday, Dec. 3 – Balance
Tuesday Dec. 8 – Wheel Torque
Wednesday, Dec. 9 – Tire Repair
Thursday, Dec. 10 – TPMS Service
During the week of Dec. 15-17, TIA will hold three one-day virtual 200-Level Basic Commercial Tire Service (CTS) classes, two of them in Spanish.
Basic CTS provides the minimum training required by Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standard 29 CFR 1910.177, so truck tire dealers and service providers can maintain compliance. There is a connection fee of $50 for members and $100 for non-members as well as a $35 fee per student workbook for members and a $65 fee per student workbook for non-members.
The class consists of six hours of instruction and is taught in two sessions each day, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (EST). Students who purchase a workbook and successfully complete the virtual Basic CTS class will receive a TIA Certificate of Completion. The schedule is as follows:
Tuesday, Dec. 15 – Basic CTS in Spanish
Wednesday, Dec. 16 – Basic CTS in English
Thursday, Dec. 17 – Basic CTS in Spanish
“The year 2020 has been challenging for the tire industry, but TIA has maintained a strong training presence since the beginning of the pandemic,” said Dan Nothdurft, TIA president. “TIA’s mission to improve tire safety through training and education has not changed, so we are going to finish the year with three weeks of online instruction for our retail and commercial members. Hopefully we can get back to in-person classes in 2021 and resume more of the hands-on instruction that has made our programs so effective over the years.”
The ATS webinars are free to the industry and students can register on TIA’s website, www.tireindustry.org. The registration form for the virtual Basic CTS classes can be accessed on the website or interested companies can email training@tireindustry.org or call 800-876-8372, ext. 136 to ask questions or get more information.
TIA is still holding two in-person Certified Instructor classes the week of Dec. 8-11, with openings available in each class. The Certified Automotive Tire Service (ATS) Instructor class will be held in Detroit, Mich., and the Certified Commercial Tire Service (CTS) Instructor class will be held in Tampa, Fla. For more information on the Certified ATS and CTS Instructor classes, contact Christine Hoogenboom, TIA director of training, at 800-876-8372, ext. 106 or email choogenboom@tireindustry.org.