MPRI and United Rentals Kick Off North American Driver Training Event to Underscore Safety at Every Turn
April 13 2010 - 9:46PM
Business Wire
L-3 MPRI, a global leader in airport ramp, ground vehicle, and
maritime simulator products as well as training services and
turnkey training facilities, and United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE: URI),
the world’s largest equipment rental company, today announced that
they have kicked off a driver safety initiative designed to improve
and promote safety among United Rentals drivers.
The year-long program, which recently began, will train 4,250
drivers at approximately 70 locations across the United States and
Canada. MPRI’s mobile training facilities, comprised of two
trailers each containing two TranSim VS™ IV driver training
simulators and classrooms, are dispatched to United Rentals
facilities where MPRI authorized employee certified instructors
guide students through a two-hour course on close-quarter
maneuvering and distracted driving.
Designed by MPRI, the custom curriculum was developed by
workforce education experts to meet the unique needs of United
Rentals’ CDL and non-CDL drivers. The course challenges drivers to
be aware of surroundings and demonstrate finely tuned skills in
maneuvering vehicles within close quarters. Drivers also practice
following detailed instructions while performing complicated
vehicle maneuvers. Scenarios such as receiving cell phone calls and
text messages, navigating with a map binder and drinking hot
beverages are incorporated into the simulated experience to
highlight the hazards of common drive-time activities.
The program also includes a rodeo-style driving competition.
After completing the class, each driver will compete in a
simulator-based contest. Various elements of their performance will
be scored as drivers conduct intricate vehicle operations and
navigate obstacles. Based on their scores, the top CDL and top two
non-CDL performers from each of nine regions will be awarded prizes
and qualify for the final rodeo competition to be held at United
Rentals’ Dallas.
“United Rentals is at the forefront of driver training. By
utilizing our world-class Training Systems Group, they are
delivering a total training solution that includes custom
curriculum development, human performance assessments, advanced
distributed course development and state-of-the-art
simulation-based training,” said Dennis Corrigan, senior vice
president and general manager of MPRI’s Training Systems Group.
“The result will be a driver force that experiences fewer accidents
and is mindful of safety at every turn.”
“This marks the third MPRI-led driver training program we have
conducted, and previous programs garnered very successful results —
including a 42 percent reduction in accidents following the space
management course,” said Heidi Rawe, senior director of
sustainability for United Rentals. “Through this original
curriculum and unique rodeo-style competition, we look forward to
further strengthening our drivers’ commitment to safety.”
The TranSim VS IV provides high-fidelity, real-world driving
environments that can be customized for various markets including
trucking, snowplow, bus, ready mix, fire, police, EMS and the
military. Featuring state-of-the-art software that delivers
lifelike graphics via a three-channel plasma screen, drivers are
immersed in myriad driving conditions in a risk-free setting.
Force-loaded steering provides real-time feedback to augment muscle
memory in situations such as a tire blowout or sloshing loads, and
users can choose from more than 140 transmissions, 240 engines and
33 axle ratios to simulate nearly any vehicle type.
About United Rentals
United Rentals, Inc. is the largest equipment rental company in
the world, with an integrated network of approximately 562 rental
locations in 48 states, 10 Canadian provinces and Mexico. The
company’s approximately 7,500 employees serve construction and
industrial customers, utilities, municipalities, homeowners and
others. The company offers for rent approximately 3,000 classes of
rental equipment with a total original cost of $3.7 billion. United
Rentals is a member of the Standard & Poor’s MidCap 400 Index
and the Russell 2000 Index® and is headquartered in Greenwich,
Conn. Additional information about United Rentals is available at
unitedrentals.com.
About MPRI
Headquartered in Alexandria, Va., MPRI is a recognized global
leader in national security, law enforcement, the environment,
international development and public health programs – both
domestically and abroad. All of MPRI products, people and programs
are governed by the division’s commitment to quality and ethics.
For further information, please visit the company’s Web site at
www.mpri.com.
Headquartered in New York City, L-3 Communications employs over
66,000 people worldwide and is a prime contractor in aircraft
modernization and maintenance, C3ISR (Command, Control,
Communications, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance)
systems and government services. L-3 is also a leading provider of
high technology products, subsystems and systems. The company
reported 2009 sales of $15.6 billion.
To learn more about L-3, please visit the company’s web site at
www.L-3Com.com.
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