Field Trip to Fyda Freightliner

This week we took a special field trip to Fyda Freightliner's new service center in Zanesville, Ohio. We talked to staff including the service manager, general manager, recruiting managers, and we also talked to the technicians. Most importantly the newer technicians, some of which had graduated from our school's own Auto/Diesel program.

We toured the facility including waiting lounge, staff rooms, parts department, and of course the actual shop. We were shown how their shop operates and the trucks they work on.

Welcome to Fyda Freightliner!

Exhaust vent above the chassis dyno. Much easier than the ceiling-mounted exhaust ventilation hoses we use!

The chassis dyno. This can be used to diagnose driveability problems without taking the truck out on the road.

Back lot parking as we exited the dyno room. Trucks everywhere!

My reflection:

One question I posed to one of the younger technicians there was the pacing difference between our training in college versus the training they get as technicians for a Freightliner dealership. The answer? Much more intense, much more involved. That is just the training.

My thoughts? Sending technicians to training is expensive for these guys (and even college tuition for us is no joke), so I imagine it is much more involved than our shop classes. I also imagine only the best are sent to training, those willing to learn and those motivated to advance and grow as technicians.

I look forward to the challenges and opportunities waiting for me in this field.