Optronics International, a manufacturer and supplier of heavy duty LED vehicle lighting, announced the launch of its new Bright Ideas Technical Training Program during Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week (HDAW) 2016. The program is designed to help today’s fleets, distributors and jobbers become more competent and knowledgeable about lighting and electrical issues.
The Bright Ideas Technical Training Program is a comprehensive instructional system that provides a fundamental understanding of electricity, vehicle wiring, lighting connections, installation and basic troubleshooting – all within the context of federal regulations and CSA requirements. Optronics will conduct the free training sessions at a fleet or distributor location, and participants who finish the free course will receive a certificate of course completion and a free Bright Ideas tool kit.
With Optronics’ Bright Ideas Technical Training Program, fleets can reduce exposure to CSA violations by addressing electrical and lighting issues, and by gaining a deeper understanding of both lighting operations and regulations. Distributors and jobbers can gain insights that will make them a more knowledgeable asset to their customers when sales involve electricity, wiring or lighting.
“Anyone associated with the sale or maintenance of vehicle lighting can benefit from our Bright Ideas Technical Training Program,” Brett Johnson, president and CEO of Optronics International, said. “Everyone from fleet maintenance professionals to aftermarket counter staff can now have a practical working knowledge of electricity, lighting and how these both relate to reducing CSA infractions.”
One of the unique aspects of the program is the use of advanced TMCSuperTech 2015 competition units. The units were originally used in September of 2015 by the American Trucking Association’s Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC), at its eleventh annual National Technical Skills Competition, also known as TMCSuperTech 2015.
The TMCSuperTech competition features professional commercial vehicle technicians competing for top honors and valuable prizes as they demonstrate their diagnostic abilities through a series of skills stations. The annual event is organized by TMC’s Professional Technical Development Committee (PTDC).
The PTDC chose Optronics to engineer and manufacture ten lighting and electrical testing boards used in the TMCSuperTech 2015 competition. Now, the same TMCSuperTech testing units used by the nation’s top vehicle technicians will be used by Optronics to train a wide variety of industry professionals.
“Optronics was honored to be chosen by TMC’s PTDC to bring the TMCSuperTech competition boards to fruition,” Marcus Hester, vice president of sales and marketing for Optronics International, said. “We’re so excited to repurpose this same sophisticated technology within the industry, and we think folks will be excited to use the same equipment that the pros used in their competition.”
The Bright Ideas Technical Training Program curriculum includes the following training segments:
- Background on Federal Entities and Regulations
- DOT
- FMVSS 108 (including FMVSS codes)
- NHTSA
- CSA
- SAE lighting standards and their relationship
- Specific Lighting Regulations for Vehicles
- Electricity 101
- Installation and Preventive Maintenance (PM)
- Added Value of LEDs
- Tools and Technical Support
- Lab Support
- Lighting Requirements Tables and Diagrams
“The Bright Ideas Technical Training Program is just another way Optronics is providing better value, better options and better lighting to the marketplace,” Johnson said. “We feel confident that stakeholders up and down our channel will enjoy and benefit from the unique program.”
