The new training centre, representing an investment of more than GBP300,000 from Volvo UK, houses three fully-equipped training bays, each large enough to accommodate two trucks, alongside a classroom.

The five locations which were recently added were Vanguard Truck Centers dealerships in Phoenix, Arizona; Atlanta, Georgia; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Austin and Houston, Texas.

It is a 26,000-square-metre facility capable of producing up to 16,000 units per year; following a planned expansion to 40,000 square metres, it will be capable of producing 50,000 units.

The educational tour will stop off at all 34 DAF Trucks’ truck sales and aftermarket services centres in the UK and Ireland, to deliver in-person, hands-on training for all staff.

The aim is to increase road safety and to improve job satisfaction to increase driver retention throughout the country.

BharatBenz is a brand name of Daimler India Commercial Vehicles, which is fully supported by Daimler Truck AG

Called ‘Decarbonisation Academy’, Renault Trucks’ educational platform is intended to “demystify” electric vehicles and provide clear and accurate information to customers looking to incorporate battery electric trucks into their fleets.

The programme - which covers servicing of Paccar MX engines, electrical systems, and braking and suspension systems - will provide students with nine factory-trained technician credentials, which Peterbilt claims will help fast-track them to careers at one of its North American dealerships.

The new facility will house up to 480 technicians and 100 commercial staff with the aim of training staff in both vehicle repair and maintenance as well as customer-facing skills that will be put into use in Iveco dealerships.

This month, T&BB spoke to Richard and Kara Demirjian of TCCI – a manufacturer of commercial vehicle compressors based in Decatur, Illinois – about its EV Innovation Hub: a veritable “triple threat” with an EV components production line, a climatic testing centre, and a training academy rolled into one facility, which it is developing as part of a public-private partnership with the state and local schools.

The company has opened a dedicated 580 square metre electric bus training centre in Mannheim for its customers’ employees, offering a range of courses including, bus driver training and the vehicle maintenance of electric buses.

After Motiv Power Systems retrofitted five vans with an electric driveline in 2021, Purolator has ordered an additional 55 step vans, powered by electric drive systems assembled by Motiv Power Systems and fitted on Ford chassis.