How to Use Simulator Training to Decrease COVID Risks
Published on March 29, 2021
This is not our last pandemic. Even with viable vaccines beginning to reach people, COVID itself will be with us for a long time, as will similarly infectious diseases. Fortunately, simulator training technology helps transit agencies reduce a spectrum of risks—not just those that pop up behind the wheel. COVID hasn’t just complicated mass … Continued
Using Bus Simulators in Collision Mitigation: A Three-Step Process
Published on February 16, 2021
Your bus simulator is an ideal tool for addressing a bus-on-bus, fixed-object, or pedestrian-contact collision/near miss. But some agencies find themselves having trouble “getting traction” with their corrective action. Often, this comes down to having an inefficient or inconsistent strategy for addressing the root causes of those collisions and near misses. By adopting a … Continued
Bus Training Simulators: A Change in Transit Culture
Published on January 13, 2021
Bus training simulators have changed the way we think about driver training. In this video, two subject matter experts discuss the impact made by bus simulation training and some common misconceptions about the process. Learn more about FAAC’s bus training simulators by clicking here. Or contact us directly In this video, Clayne Woodbury (North … Continued
Using Your Bus Simulator to Hire for Attitude, Not Just Experience
Published on December 22, 2020
Every transit agency struggles with churn and a shortage of good applicants. Take St. Louis Metro Transit as an example. That agency needs to hire and train at least 100 to 120 operators per year, just to stay ahead of churn. Traditionally, transit agencies have dealt with this by seeking to hire individuals who already … Continued
Bus Simulator vs. “Bending Metal Behind the Wheel”: Helping Operators Acclimate to Vehicle Dynamics
Published on December 17, 2020
Even when transit agencies go out of their way to seek out applicants with prior large/commercial motor vehicle (CMV) experience, they find that those trainees can struggle to learn how to maintain proper right rear clearance, “walk” the bus around the corner, and continue to properly scan the area and mirrors. Increasingly, they are … Continued
Examining Bus Simulator Return-on-Investment: A Tool, Not a Toy
Published on December 7, 2020
When communities consider investing in bus simulator training, they want to be sure they’ll see a return on that investment (ROI). Rob Raheb is a simulation training expert who’s worked closely with transit agencies for nearly a decade. According to Raheb, it’s natural for any organization to say, “We just spent three-quarters of a … Continued
Bus Driver Training that Increases Awareness, Decreases Accidents
Published on September 7, 2020
Bus during training programs that rely on traditional closed-course driving can struggle to truly test operators’ situational and hazard awareness. Fortunately, these are areas where “permission to fail” simulation training is known to shine. Simulation Supported Bus Driver Training in Champaign-Urbana Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District (MTD) in Illinois has been using FAAC bus … Continued
Bus Training Simulators Prevent Job Strain, Improve Retention
Published on September 10, 2019
As Jared Stancil, a VP at Nashville-based Anchor Tours, told a reporter back in 2013, “We have already invested a lot of time and energy in the drivers we have hired, and it is becoming increasingly harder to replace them. This is a very tough market for us to find quality drivers.” Conditions haven’t changed. … Continued
New GRT simulator allows drivers to practice skills
Published on August 23, 2019
Grand River Transit (GRT) bus operators are practicing their driving skills using a new driver simulator. It’s located at the Strasburg Road facility in Kitchener. In order to create a realistic virtual environment, the simulator was built using actual bus parts. The software is programmed using real bus and roadway dimensions, as well as vehicle … Continued
Bus Simulators Attract and Retain Millennial Bus Drivers
Published on August 9, 2019
Mass transit has an image problem. This is a physically demanding job that is as challenging, in many regards, as flying an airplane without the cultural cachet. “I come from the defense industry,” explains Zerry Hogan, an expert in transit and transportation training and simulation. “I started out teaching weapons systems officer training to pilots. … Continued