Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) is adding a West Coast technical training facility in the San Francisco Bay Area as part of a larger initiative to invest in technical training across North America.
In addition to diesel construction equipment, the facility will serve as a hub for Volvo Group battery-electric vehicle training including Volvo CE, Volvo Trucks North America and Mack Trucks.
"An important part of our commitment to customer uptime is supporting our dealers and ensuring their technicians are well trained on the latest developments in construction equipment," said Stephen Roy, President of Region North America, Volvo CE. "The California facility brings our world-class technician training to the West Coast, adding a new level of convenience for dealers throughout North America to have their technicians go through in-depth, hands-on training, which will ultimately benefit customers with even better service, support and uptime."
Technician training on both coasts
Volvo CE has long offered technician and other types of training at its North American headquarters in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, and recently announced plans for a new $4.3 million training centre there.
This summer, the West Coast training centre in Hayward will expand access and convenience for Volvo CE dealers. The training centre will be within a 67,000-square-foot service center opened by Prevost, a leading coach manufacturer and part of the Volvo Group.
The facility offers training benefits such as:
- Volvo CE will utilize 7,800 square feet of dedicated training space, plus 1,800 square feet of common areas.
- It is located a short drive from San Francisco International Airport and near many hotels and restaurants.
- The Northern California climate will allow for year-round outdoor training opportunities.
- Volvo Trucks and Mack Trucks will also offer technician training at the facility, providing increased opportunities for training collaboration.
The Hayward training centre is ideally located for training on battery-electric vehicles designed for on-road and off-road, given that the West Coast is on the leading edge of adopting clean air regulations and supporting the development and use of electric vehicles of all types.
Volvo CE will use the site for e-mobility technician training as it rolls out its line of fully electric compact equipment and future electric offerings. Volvo Trucks will use the site for all of its new Volvo VNR Electric model training, and Mack Trucks will use the site for training for the Mack LR Electric.
"With Volvo Trucks and Mack Trucks conducting training at the same location, our trainees will get an even richer experience, especially when it comes to emerging technologies," said Mark Granroth, Head of Connectivity & Customer Experience, Volvo CE. "Our trainers will learn from each other, enhancing their knowledge and teaching skills and benefiting the dealer technicians who attend training sessions."
Other training expansion projects for Volvo CE include the development of partnerships with trade schools and vastly expanded online training.
