“Traditionally, lift truck operator training covers the required theory and practice behind operation but is not designed with a focus on behavioural change,” says Laura Nelson, Managing Director for RTITB, the preferred workplace transport training regulatory body. “However, our new eTruck UK offering is unique, using digital storytelling to teach operators the reasons behind driver behaviour and why people may make bad decisions, alongside the relevant theory.”
eTruck is an award-winning digital storytelling system, developed by MA Systems in Sweden, which provides a new way to cover the theory content for materials handling equipment operator training. For operators in the UK, Ireland, India, and the Arabian Peninsula the innovative eTruck system is available only from RTITB.
With eTruck UK, candidates will learn by following a story that tackles real issues relating to safety. The digital storytelling platform allows more complex themes – such as driver behaviour – to be communicated more effectively than in a classroom lecture. This training method is believed to help learners to better retain information.
“For candidates, eTruck UK will make training more interesting and engaging and give them the chance to learn at their own pace,” says Laura. “It will also ensure that theory training content is balanced and the same for all candidates, by removing any Instructor bias towards focusing on certain topics more than others.”
eTruck UK is a totally online system, enabling candidates to complete the theory training on a computer or tablet, in the workplace or at home, before attending practical training and taking their final assessments. For a novice, this can reduce the time taken to complete counterbalance lift truck operator training from 5 days to 3 days.
“One of the biggest objections to accredited training from employers is the requirement to attend a 5 day course - we’ve wanted to find a solution to this challenge for a long time so that we can give access to safe, effective, quality assured operator training to a wider selection of industry,” says Laura. “We understand that taking time out of work is a huge expense but until now, did not have a solution that we felt genuinely delivered the required knowledge in an engaging way – or that added any value to the operator training experience. eTruck changes all that.”
For employers, reduced training times help keep downtime and costs to a minimum. eTruck UK also provides reassurance that their operators are safer, and better prepared for the workplace. The system also leaves Instructors free to spend less time in the classroom and more time delivering hands-on practical training. Or, if they wish, eTruck UK can be used as part of a 5-day course to improve engagement with the theory element of training – traditionally seen as the ‘boring’ part of the course.”
The addition of eTruck is part of RTITB’s mission to lead a digital, technology led revolution in lift truck training and it follows the launch of the MyRTITB TrainingFriend app. Designed to make training administration and assessment completely paperless for the first time, MyRTITB TrainingFriend harnesses current technology to improve both operator testing standards and training compliance.
“These new offerings are not gimmicks – they are robust, future-proof solutions which will be a standard part of all lift truck operator training and testing in future,” says Laura. “Operator training has been largely the same for 20 years or more, but it’s essential that we innovate if we want to improve training effectiveness and boost operator standards and safety for our industry.”
eTruck UK can be used from 2nd January 2020 as part of RTITB Counterbalance Lift Truck Operator training and the use of this solution will also be covered as a core element in all RTITB Lift Truck Instructor training. The solution will be then rolled out to other RTITB operator courses and equipment types.
With eTruck UK, a lifetime license must be purchased for each trainee. This enables operators to return to content when they wish to refresh their knowledge, giving employers, instructors and supervisors opportunities to use eTruck as part of toolbox talks.
eTruck licenses are available to pre-order at a special price of £50+vat (£90+vat thereafter) until 31st December 2019.
