SC&RA NEWS: A productive portal

Online education has seen a recent spike for obvious reasons – as companies and workers throughout an assortment of industries attempt to navigate unplanned-for downtime related to COVID-19. And while such an increase is understandable given the current moment, the truth is, there really isn’t a bad time to get your employees up to date on the training and information they need to help you run a successful business. Especially when most of it is free.

The benefits are numerous, from increased confidence and job satisfaction to increased awareness on product and procedure updates. Online training also helps companies identify unknown weaknesses and/or strengths within their workforce, as well as improve skill retention.

Which is why SC&RA is excited to introduce its new online Training Center. This latest effort to enhance both the productivity and profitability of Association members allows users a chance to receive the latest information on industry trends and have year-round access to valuable educational content.

By utilizing the Training Center, SC&RA members receive FREE access to the entire webinar series, discounts when purchasing online courses, 24/7 access from any PC, Android or Apple device, downloadable MP3 files and certificates (upon completing a course) and PowerPoint slides synced with high-quality speaker audio.

Particular value

Of particular value, the Training Center portal contains: live recordings of sessions that were originally held in-person, such as conference sessions or workshops, or online webinars and courses. Moreover, attendees of the 2020 Specialized Transportation Symposium or the upcoming Crane & Rigging Workshop enjoy free access to the archived sessions recorded at these events. Those participants will receive an email approximately two to four weeks after the event with instructions on how to view these sessions free of charge. Additionally, members also receive bulk discounts when purchasing online courses – with discounts reflected at the checkout page.

As mentioned above, access to SC&RA’s monthly sponsored webinars brings a variety of learning opportunities from the industry’s foremost experts right to your office at no cost. Monthly topics can be specific to the industry, as well as broad business-related areas of interest. The webinars are free to Association members through a partnership with KHL Group and monthly sponsors.

Recent webinars have included, but certainly aren’t limited to: “Increased Audit Frequency for 2020, Are You Ready?” – presented by Bill Hebron, of NBIS; “How to Tap into the Trillions: What You Need to Know About the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act” – presented by Liam Donovan, of Bracewell, LLP; “M&A Strategies for Buyers & Sellers” – presented by Dan Cook, of TrueNorth Companies; “How to Offer Your Employees an Affordable 401k Plan (It’s Possible)” – presented by Dean DiGregorio and Chris Connelly, of Partner One Retirement Source; and “From the Ground Up: A Solid Foundation for Crane Set Up” – presented by Mike Walsh, of Dearborn Companies.

And tune in this month for “Don’t Just Stand Up, Brand Up! How to Optimize and Distinguish Your Brand Utilizing Content, Marketing, and Design” – presented by Tim Hillegonds and Mike Chalmers, of Thrive Creative.

Covering all bases

SC&RA’s first online training course is “Bridge Safety & Accident Prevention.” This recently produced in-depth program focuses on educating carriers and reducing bridge hits significantly across the country.

Developed last year by SC&RA’s Transportation Training Taskforce, the 50-minute program is the result of an examination into why and how bridge hits are becoming a growing problem in the U.S. – especially over the last few years.

Particularly important to the task force was information on how many bridge hits involved oversize/overweight (OS/OW) loads, and especially, whether there were injuries or fatalities, what total damage costs were to the structure(s) and whether or not carriers had the correct permits. One surprising piece of information that emerged revealed that few states even track such data – despite the fact that approximately one bridge is hit every day in the U.S., according to statistics.

Because so many people look at bridge hits from a variety of perspectives, it was important to the taskforce that the program covered all bases. As a result, the program is designed to come from different angles to make sure everyone’s concerns are met.

One of the main reasons SC&RA has taken the initiative with this offering has a lot to do with who takes the hit, so to speak, said Steven Todd, SC&RA Vice President, Transportation. “We’re stepping forward on this because the negative consequences of bridge hits too often affect us – our members – more than the ‘bad apples’ out there – the chronic offenders.”

Ultimately, the goal of the training program is to get heavy haul carriers to pay attention to their permits and stay focused at all times – and to make sure they’ve purchased their permit, input the correct dimensions into the system and continue to remain aware of where they’re going, especially when it’s a route they’re familiar with.

“Based on the evidence we do have – while not perfect – we understand that a majority of bridge hits across the country are caused by loads that weren’t even designed or set up to be over-dimensional and/or in need of a permit – or weren’t secured properly,” explained Todd.

“We hope this training program allows for a productive solution towards educating carriers throughout the industry and keeps them focused on operating both safely and successfully. We started hearing, in various states, governments reacting to increases or perceived increases in bridge hits by considering, and in some cases adopting, new laws and policies that – as we’ve seen too often over the years – end up ultimately punishing a majority of carriers out there, which certainly includes SC&RA members, who are doing things the right way. We want these chronic offenders off the roadways – for safety reasons and because they put our members at a competitive disadvantage.”

For more information on SC&RA’s new Training Center, visit www.scratraining.org, log in and visit the My Content page to get started.