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By Bob Bartley - Senior Director, Product Support and Reconditioning

When I started working in a rental yard on aerial equipment in May of 1976, today’s training and safety programs didn’t exist yet because the industry wasn't very big at the time. Manufacturers like Genie provided a manual with the equipment you bought — if you had an issue with how the machine was performing or a question about how to use it, you got the manual out, found the schematics for the machine and figured it out. Most of our safety training and technical know-how was self-taught.

Today, training and safety programs have evolved to much, much more than just the materials in front of you — for example, service manuals are always available in hard copy form with the equipment, but they are now also stored online for 24/7 access. This is extremely valuable because it helps the people working in the shops, as well as technicians out in the field. And, the manuals and training information on each and every piece of equipment are available as soon as a new machine rolls off the production line.

In addition, Genie offers online training for operators (Lift Pro) and technicians (Tech Pro). Genie^® Lift Pro™ Online Operator Training Courses are designed to satisfy the general training requirements for aerial work platforms as defined by ANSI, OSHA and CSA, and telehandlers as defined by ANSI/ITSDF, OSHA and CSA. The programs incorporate current adult learning theory and consist of detailed graphics, narration, video and a variety of quizzes that provide a rich and interactive learning environment for the trainee. Upon passing the exam, a certificate of completion is presented as proof of training in preparation for the hands-on portion; after completing the online training, the trainee must receive hands-on familiarization from a qualified person to complete the training process and become a qualified operator.

Genie Tech Pro™ Service Training teaches the skills to keep Genie equipment well maintained and high performing long after it leaves the factory. Available either online or at our factory locations (Redmond, Wash. and Oklahoma City, Okla.), it ensures that service teams are well-versed and confident about Genie technologies including: Electrical systems, hydraulics, machine inspections, control systems and specific courses for booms, scissors and telehandlers.

To further serve our customers, we can provide training classes for new equipment to a customer before production starts on their machine, saying, "You've got this machine coming, please complete this training before it arrives."

Why do we do this? Because the key to our customers’ successes is keeping their equipment ready to work and their operators able to work. And, who better to provide the training than the people who know the equipment the best? Whether in-person or online, our goal at Genie is to help train our customers to operate and maintain their aerial equipment to its full potential, maximum productivity and a high rental return on investment.