TRA INING
With today’s technologically sophisticated
trucks, there’s never been a greater need for
highly skilled technicians. Advanced control
systems and add-on equipment have pushed
technician skill requirements to an all-time
high. Th e bottom line is: Technicians with
inadequate training and expertise will slow
down your entire operation.
Fortunately, there’s a way to gauge your
current group of technicians, and a means to
36 Fleet Maintenance | June 2018
screen potential new hires. ASE certifi cation
for medium duty and heavy duty truck technicians
is something you should take a close
look at for your operation.
Validation process
for ASE testing
Today, ASE goes beyond providing certifi cation
for automotive technicians. ASE has a full
certifi cation program for medium/heavy truck
technicians, truck equipment technicians,
transit bus technicians, school bus technicians
and even an advanced diesel engine diagnosis
specialist certifi cation.
All ASE tests are the product of strong industry
interest and support, each the direct result
of test development workshops, where experts
from all facets of the industry sit down and
hash out the details of the tests. First, a task
list is developed for each test. Th en, test questions
are written that address
these tasks.
Th e workshops rely on heavy
interaction between all workshop
participants, so their
collective knowledge is put to
best use. In this stage of test
development, ASE’s own experts
act merely as facilitators; the
real “guts” of the tests come from
the industry experts. Th erefore,
the industry makes the tests
what they are, not some loft y
committee at ASE.
The questions deal
with practical, not theoretical,
problems experienced
on the job. Th is
real-world perspective
is a direct benefi t of the
workshop process. Each
test question must get a
» Once certified,
ASE issues a
shoulder insignia
that identifies
the technician’s
specific areas of
certification.
Photo courtesy of ASE
“thumbs-up” from all workshop participants
before qualifying as test material. Th en, all
questions are pre-tested and quality-checked
nationally by thousands of working technicians
or parts specialists.
Questions that live up to the combined ASE
and industry standards of quality and accuracy
are included in the scored sections of the
tests; any question that doesn’t perform up to
these standards is sent back to the drawing
board for changes or is discarded altogether.
Once ASE launches a test series, the commitment
to relevancy and quality doesn’t end
there. All tests are subject to revision by the
industry via review workshops. Held on a periodic
basis, these sessions ensure that the tests
refl ect current technology and methodology.
Th is keeps the ASE certifi cation tests in step
with the changes aff ecting the industry.
Benefits of certification
Once a technician passes any of the ASE
Medium/Heavy Truck certification tests,
and has at least two years of hands-on working
experience, that technician becomes
ASE-certifi ed in that given specialty area. Th e
Medium/Heavy Truck test series also off ers a
Benefi ts of ASE
certifi cation for truck
service professionals
The benchmark for technician credentials
expands to meet growing needs.
By Dave Cappert
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ELECTRONIC INITIATIVES, ASE
The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence,
known more commonly as ASE, is a professional
certification group that certifies professionals and shops
in the automotive repair and service industry in the
U.S. and parts of Canada. The non-profit organization
helps to improve the quality of vehicle repair and service
through testing and certification of repair and service
professionals.
» Once a technician passes any of
the ASE certification tests and has at
least two years of hands-on working
experience, that technician becomes ASEcertified
in that given specialty area.
Photo from iStock
Technicians must
re-certify every five
years to make sure
they’re keeping pace with
changes in the industry.