Photo courtesy of Terex

Thirty-six participants from across the United States and Canada rotated through seven different stations.

Terex Utilities held its 46th annual Hands-On Training in August at its manufacturing facility in Watertown, S.D. The program provided the opportunity for customers, dealers and rental partners to operate Terex digger derricks and aerial devices in different applications.

Thirty-six participants from across the United States and Canada rotated through seven different stations. The digger derrick stations included digging holes, setting poles and setting screwanchors. The aerial device stations involved changing out a transformer, setting up and performing a three-phase lift, and changing out an insulator. Participants also were instructed on top controls and how to operate a backyard unit.

The final day provided the opportunity to experience line building as a team.

"Every [Terex] team member was incredibly informative and overly nice. The structure of the program is well designed and keeps the trainees engaged," said one of the participants on the post-event survey.

"Hands On is geared toward anyone who works for a utility or one of our partners — whether they are a fleet manager, lineman, mechanic or work in the office," said Kenny Vlasman, customer service manager of Terex Utilities. "At the end of the day, we want them to go back to work with an understanding of our equipment — what the equipment is, how it operates, and its purpose."

David Walleser, a fleet mechanic of Dairyland Power in La Crosse, Wis., said the Hands-On program made him feel more comfortable, with a better understanding of how a piece of machinery works.

"It is easy to be intimidated by a piece of equipment you don't understand," he said. "Coming here has opened my eyes on what these machines are capable of and what they do on a daily basis. This is critical to support Dairyland's number one priority of safety."

Vonnie Eldridge is an accountant with Scott Powerline, a Terex rental partner. She explained that going through the Hands-On program gave her a better understanding of the industry overall and the importance of her teams' role when they rent or sell Terex equipment to the electric utility industry.

"Hands On definitely gave me a better appreciation of the people who do this on a daily basis — from the mechanics who work on the equipment to the linemen in the field," said Eldridge.

For more information, visit www.terex.com/utilities.

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