English - Nooteboom Giants on the Road Magazine English - Nr. 6 - 2019 | Page 18

GIANTS ON THE ROAD WHY THE NOOTEBOOM ACADEMY? SHORTAGE OF DRIVERS Bob Burks, manager Services at Nooteboom Trailers: “Several developments led to this strategic collaboration. The most important one is the fact that there are no separate training courses for driving extremely heavy vehicles. The training courses of the Nooteboom Academy have to contribute to the safety of abnormal transports. A great deal of attention is also paid to the technical aspects of low-loaders.” The courses of the Nooteboom Academy consist of a theoretical and practical part, giving the trainees the opportunity to straightaway test in practice the knowledge they have gained. Bob: “Due to the shortage of drivers we increasingly come across young, inexperienced drivers who will have to work with extremely complex equipment. With the Nooteboom Academy we can also contribute towards training drivers for abnormal transports.” SAFETY AND REDUCED COSTS COLLABORATION WITH V-TAS Bob: “The driver, who uses the trailer, has a big influence on the repair and maintenance costs. The training courses will give them a better understanding of the operation and technology of the vehicle and this can help to reduce the maintenance costs. We also spend quite a bit of time on the safety aspects, including securing the load. This is how we achieve our objective: safer and more enjoyable work for the driver and lower costs for the transport company.” John van Oers, director V-TAS: ‘’V-TAS has already been active for twenty years in training personnel in the horizontal and vertical transport sectors. This experience means we are well-placed to give you the best advice in choosing the right training. The courses cover in depth the practical problems that drivers face every day. Our instructors themselves have a great deal of experience in abnormal transport. They understand the problems of a driver, on the road and during loading/ unloading. The lessons that are taught during the course can actually be put into practice. In this way we can improve the efficiency, safety and quality of the work.” INTERNATIONAL Bob: “We are starting off with the Nooteboom Academy in the Netherlands and Belgium, but several German companies have already made use of the training programme too. In the course of this year the first training courses will become available in other languages. Several of our instructors speak more than one language and therefore we can structurally provide a pathway to courses in French, German and English. And it is our ambition to add Polish in a few years as well.” FROM PRACTICE TO THEORY John: “Practice is the starting point for all our training courses. Because we conduct our lessons on locations that are well-equipped with modern equipment, we can incorporate the practical situations in our lessons. For the Nooteboom Academy we have bought a new, hydraulically steered and extendible Nooteboom semi-trailer. We can also make use of the equipment that is always available at the Nooteboom training locations, and we can use the customer’s vehicle in the lesson too. This motivates the trainees to straightaway put into practice what they have learned. Another important aspect of the training is awareness. The trainees must be aware of their own responsibility as regards the equipment, road safety and the load they transport.” TRAINING LOCATIONS The training courses of the Nooteboom Academy are held at 14 locations throughout the Netherlands. There are also 2 locations in Belgium. The latest addition is the training centre in Zwijndrecht, at the same location as the Nooteboom Trailer Service Centre. The courses can also be conducted at the customer’s premises. COMPLETE PACKAGE Nooteboom wants to offer their customers a complete package, including service, parts, the purchase and sales of used trailers and training courses. Ultimately the objective is to offer the lowest running costs (Total Cost of Ownership) and the highest degree of road safety. A well-trained driver will be careful with his equipment and this has a positive effect on the repair and maintenance costs. But it’s not all about reducing costs and increased safety. During the training courses there is also plenty of opportunity for the drivers to exchange experiences. For further information, prices and registration: visit www.nooteboomacademy.com or www.v-tas.com/ nooteboomacademy. Get in touch for available dates and locations of the training courses. In some cases a subsidy could be available for the courses. Ask V-TAS about further information.  ■ ■  18 The theory from the classroom is explained in practice outside