The North American Trailer Dealers Association (NATDA) announces advanced negotiations have begun with multiple third-party services, including RV Technical Institute (RVTI), to better supply trailer technicians with increased theoretical and mechanical knowledge of trailer servicing.
As trailer dealerships have evolved over the years, so too has the needs of their technicians. From understanding the basics of chassis framework to the more nuanced components of electrical work, a competent, NATDA says well-trained technician does not only bring increased value to his or her dealership but to themselves as well. As the industry continues to move forward, additional offerings within the service department will create new revenue streams for dealerships across the country.
“Trailer dealerships no longer have the luxury of remaining the middleman between manufacturers and consumers. Service departments have not only become increasingly profitable part of the industry, but a necessity in the daily operational status of dealerships in the industry,” says Andy Ackerman, NATDA president and founder.
While the association has dipped into providing technical training at its annual NATDA Trade Show before, its refocused desire to reach every aspect of the trailer dealership in recent years led it to conversations with RVTI in recent months. After intensive research into RV data, NATDA says RVTI found unprecedented challenges within its own industry, including severely delayed cycle times and a largely untrained workforce. Now renowned for its incredibly detailed subject matter, RVTI has taken the lead in solving the RV industry’s shortage of trained technicians and implementing metrics to track the RV customer experience.
“While RVTI has been focused on RVs, there is a lot of crossover when it comes to the material covered in their courses that can be applied to trailer dealerships,” says Jesse Battle, NATDA executive director. “With their course load as the framework, we can, together, create a detailed educational outline specific to trailer technicians.”
While these negotiations have yet to be finalized, both NATDA and RVTI say they firmly believe that a training program specifically for trailer technicians can be developed. Additionally, technicians can enroll in the rest of the RVTI certification program, thereby creating a more cohesive pathway to profitability for themselves and their dealership.
“This program, another expansion of our NATDA Dealership Performance Training, is to create a method to develop highly trained technicians in our industry,” says Battle. “Our collaboration with RVTI will not only help accomplish this but create added benefits for the entire trailer workforce.”
