Michelin, TIA offer training course for earthmover tire service

Left to right: Charles Cutlip, OTR tire technician, McCarthy Tire Service; the Michelin Man; and Mark Shimko, OTR and commercial corporate safety trainer technician, McCarthy Tire Service. Photo courtesy of Michelin.

Michelin Earthmover announced it has launched a new 300-level training and certification course with the Tire Industry Association (TIA) to certify dealer and industry service technicians who specialize in fitting earthmover tires.

“We are excited to work with TIA to offer this new certified technician course,” says Richard Ameris, earthmover training manager, Michelin North America, Inc. “In addition to demonstrating the skills learned in the basic TIA program (200-level) and Michelin’s earthmover service technician seminar, participants will be able to reinforce the culture of safety needed for servicing mine, quarry and construction/industrial tires to reduce injury.”

“Our goal, he says, “is to help technicians across the industry to develop consistent safety practices so that they can help our end users gain productivity with their equipment, and more important, go home safely to their families at the end of each work day.”

Completion of both TIA’s basic Earthmover Tire Service (ETS) program and Michelin’s earthmover tire service technician seminar are required before registering for the new course. The multi-day technician certification class is designed for technicians with at least three years of active, hands-on OTR experience to demonstrate safe application of industry-accepted procedures and skills.

The training is facilitated by TIA-certified ETS instructors who are dedicated to reinforcing both TIA and Mine Safety & Health Administration standards. The course is a three-day, hands-on experience. Three sessions are being offered in 2017 and another round of classes will be available to Michelin Earthmover dealers and customers in 2018.

“The purpose of certification at a higher level is for participants to validate their skills and experience in order to safely and effectively perform their important roles as earthmover tire and rim service technicians,” says Roy Galyer of Klinge Tire Management Consultants Inc., and a TIA-certified ETS instructor.

Participants will be required to pass an exam and show proficiency when demonstrating various skills in the field. When they have successfully completed the course, they will receive a TIA/Michelin certification. In order to maintain their TIA certification after the class, technicians must be recertified by TIA every two years. To sign-up and get more information about the course, Michelin asks that those interested contact a Michelin Earthmover sales manager.