PAVING TRAINING GOES VIRTUAL

When COVID concerns made large in-person events impossible, Western States and Caterpillar teamed up to bring paving crews a successful virtual event.

Paving Essentials Training has traditionally been an in-person January event at the Idaho Center in Nampa, Idaho, with crews from across our territory coming for hands-on machine learning and courses taught by industry experts from both Western States and Caterpillar. To keep attendees and employees safe in light of COVID, the planning team had to rethink the event to fit a virtual platform.

“Looking at the challenges of COVID, including restrictions and guidelines that a lot of customers have in regards to travel, our employees partnered with Caterpillar to come up with a solution to deliver Paving Essentials Training to over a hundred customers online,” said Machine Application Specialist Jack McCoy.

In the past, one of the most popular presentations has focused on machine maintenance and inspection, giving crews a chance to see first-hand what to look for on their pavers to keep them running smoothly. While an in-person inspection wasn’t an option with this year’s virtual event, a live-streamed walk around hosted by technical trainer Andrew Fackler gave attendees the chance to see the machine “up close” and ask questions in real time. The live streamed inspection was a first for Western States and opened up new possibilities for similar presentations in the future.

Overall, 2021 Paving Essentials Training was a great success! A special thank you to all who participated, from planners to presenters to attendees from across the region.