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Snowplow Simulator Training Evaluation: Potential Fuel and Drivetrain Maintenance Cost Reduction

The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) introduced simulator-based training in 2004, when maintenance crews in five rural districts received a third-party snowplow safety topics course on the L-3 TransSim VS III simulator. In 2005, a simulator was deployed in the Globe District, initiating a training program for the 60-plus snowplow operators there. Local volunteer trainers, all experienced plow operators, went through a "Train the Trainer" course from L-3 staff. On that basis, in early 2006, all of the district's drivers took a Fuel Management Driving Techniques (FMDT) course on proper shifting techniques for better fuel economy. The goal of this study was to identify the benefits of simulator-based training in fuel economy and driveline repair costs for ADOT's heavy vehicle fleet. It focused on the Globe District, to assess: (1) potential improvements to fuel economy, recorded in the simulator training session, (2) driver performance in the real-world environment, in terms of fuel economy, (3) changes in fuel economy and repair costs related to proper driving/shifting skills. The project attempted to measure fuel performance in a real-world driving environment by establishing a 168-mile round-trip test route between two maintenance yards, on a winding route with many steep grades. Test runs were done with five newly-hired drivers, both before and after the fuel training, in both automatic and manual-shift plow trucks. For the manual transmission fuel runs, on average, a 4.5% improvement was seen. Three years of district fuel and repair histories were reviewed for periods before and after the 2006 training. Five significant "high-mileage" work activity areas were studied. Results were mixed due to many variables, but the critical "snow and ice activity" category did show some improved fuel economy for early 2007. However, the records showed no clear reduction in driveline repairs for January-March '07, but noted that an additional cost of repairs is the time that trucks needing extensive work are out of service. This study used Kirkpatrick's four-level evaluation model to assess if the training improved fuel economy in the Globe District. At the "reaction" level, results are positive; crews say the training did increase awareness and change driving behaviors with regard to fuel efficiency. At the "learning" level, results show some drivers improved but others did worse in post-testing. At the "performance" level, the results are promising: drivers of manual-shift trucks achieved improvement in fuel economy. At the "results" level, aggregate fuel economy figures also show a discernable difference in pre-training and post-training fuel efficiency for key winter maintenance tasks. This study confirmed that operational training can best be measured in quantitative terms, but with challenges. Future ADOT efforts to evaluate simulator training results must first strive to better integrate field data. Training must focus on improved manual gear shifting, and on "best practices" for automatics. The most benefit may come from fully integrating simulators into ADOT's field training program, which requires strong agency support. Key future requirements are (1) a state-level champion who can enhance simulator training, (2) a new fuel vs. work effort reporting system, (3) formal recognition and incentives for the volunteer local training teams.

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Media Type: Print
  • Edition: Final Report
  • Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
  • Pagination: 64p

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01091891
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA-AZ-07-635
  • Contract Numbers: R0635 19P/JPA 07-005T; SPR-PL-1(71)-635
  • Files: TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
  • Created Date: Apr 24 2008 7:41AM