BOWIE, Md.—More than 800 people took advantage of a recent series of free webinars by the Tire Industry Association aimed at tire safety.
Based on the popularity of that offering, the trade group is continuing online instruction this month.
The trade group's Automotive Tire Service (ATS) 30-minute video conference webinars ran three times each day for three days a week over six weeks.
About 26 percent of the 822 participants were technicians with the rest being "a mix of suppliers, manufacturers, distributors and vocational instructors," TIA said.
"We are pleased with the results of the ATS webinars" TIA President Brian Rigney said in a statement. "A major part of our mission is to improve tire safety through training and education. These free online training classes are a perfect example of how TIA remains focused on that mission during COVID-19 by stepping up to support our members and the industry."
The Zoom sessions were based on TIA's ATS and Advanced Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) training programs.
"Due to the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, we recognized early on we had to make some adjustments to our training model," said Kevin Rohlwing, TIA senior vice president of training, in a statement.
"When we had a discussion after one of the first classes with an automotive repair shop on the island of Guam, it became obvious that the video conference approach creates new avenues for delivering TIA instructor-led training on multiple levels without any geographical barriers or travel concerns. Moving forward, it's another tool in the toolbox for TIA to improve tire safety in the shop and on the highway," he said.
The new seminars allow people to preview TIA's Commercial Tire Service training program at no charge. Topics include "Tire Truck Inflation" from July 14-16, and "Wheel Torque" from July 21-23.
Interested people can register at www.tireindustry.org/fleet-tire-service-webinars.