Kal Tire’s new OTR training stand will help technicians hit the ground running

A showcase of progressive innovation

For Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group, innovation and sustainability solutions deliver positive change for customers. Recently, I attended the ribbon cutting ceremony of the new state-of-the-art, off-the-road (OTR) tire installation stand (CAT 797 hub) in Kal Tire’s training facility in Fort McMurray, Alberta.

The focus of Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group is on innovation and answering critical tire management demands by developing proprietary solutions that improve safety, refine practices, and overcome challenges. The group provides mining tire management solutions that improve sustainability and tire performance as well as safety and productivity. 

“We are in a time when mines are acting on new and forward-thinking commitments to ESG issues, and that is exciting because we are offering several solutions that align with this future-minded focus. We are developing offerings that do not exist, so we can protect people from risk and bring mining operations even greater safety, productivity, and sustainability,” said Dan Allan, senior vice president, Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group to CMJ.

Kal Tire’s tire technician training program

Mike Weir is the operations manager, Canada, at Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group. His primary role is to support Kal Tire’s mine service operations in everything that has to do with training, standards, procedures, practices, and operational excellence within the country. He also spoke to CMJ about how Kal Tire governs training activities within its business, what that looks like, and the value that brings to Kal Tire team members and customers.

“When we’re talking training and tires, the first thing we need to recognize is that there is no recognized or accredited tire technician training program (or red seal program) available in Canada for a tire technician trade,” said Mike.

So, tire service companies are left up to their own devices to determine how to train technicians to ensure that they are competent to safely perform the tasks of the job. There are certainly industry standards, training aids, and resources available such as those provided by the Tire Industry Association (TIA) which Kal Tire uses throughout their larger training program. 

However, Kal Tire’s team goes far above and beyond what is considered the industry norm in terms of training tire technicians in Canada. Upon joining Kal Tire in Canada, the new OTR technicians embark on a 27-month practical training program that encompasses over 250 online learning modules through its LMS (learning management system). Most of those modules are proprietary training material that encompasses a full suite of pictorial safe work documentation that supports new team members as they progress through the tooling specific training and assessments, task specific training and assessments, and, eventually, equipment specific training and assessments throughout the program. The training is bolstered by Kal Tire’s in house mentor and assessor certification program as team members are gaining knowledge, proficiency, and expertise in the trade. 

The online LMS system maintains and tracks all training activities worldwide with drill down capability right to the site and to the team member level, giving Kal Tire the ability to see in an instant, the training status of every single one of their team members worldwide. In terms of the implementation of the training itself, like any apprenticeship program, most of that training takes place at the site level. So, the trainees are paired up with a senior technician or a mentor, where they learn the practical side of the trade, how to safely use the tools, and safely service the equipment. 

Finally, when the trainees are ready to complete a competency evaluation they go before a certified Kal Tire assessor to demonstrate knowledge and competency on a skill, tool, task, or working on a piece of equipment. That is the training program in a nutshell. 

It is worth noting that Kal Tire hires about 20 to 25 new technicians every year in the Fort McMurray region to support their customers and sustain their business. In addition, there are about another 40 to 45 technicians working through the training program in various advanced stages of the curriculum. 

As such, there is a tremendous amount of training activities occurring at Kal Tire on a day-in-day out basis. However, recognizing that the first few weeks are critical in the onboarding process of any new team member in terms of company culture and understanding the critical hazards and controls of the job, Kal Tire puts extra attention into those new hires, and for good reason.

Today, when new team members are hired from the region of Fort McMurray, they spend their first six weeks at the training center.

To facilitate that, Kal Tire has appointed two full time instructors and developed a six-week structured classroom program that balances classroom learning with hands on practical experience and competency assessments all factored into the controlled learning environment at the Fort McKay location. 

This helps to ensure that fundamental skills are attained, and safe work behaviours are engrained before being posted to a full-time position on site to continue with their training.

The new CAT 797 training stand

Mining trucks, such as the CAT 797F, have a nominal rated payload of 400 tonne, a gross machine weight of 1,375,000 lb, and a gross power of 4000 HP.

Meanwhile, the training program had a challenge to work through, and that is to become more effective in what is offered to the trainee. It is hard to improve the quality of the training and train more people at the same time. The idea was to make sure that trainees hit the ground running when they are finally on the job site, which was important in terms of increasing safety and cost effectiveness. Instead of sending the trainees to the mine sites to learn how to change the tire of the biggest hauling truck in the world, Kal Tire training staff first thought: do we get a haul truck? “The answer was that we do not need a haul truck. We think we can do this with just the right components,” said Kyle Madill, regional operations manager at Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group in Fort McMurray.

“What if we were to build something instead? We talked to our neighbors, Finning, whom we have a great relationship with, and we collaborate with them frequently. We asked them whether we could get a scrap wheel hub. They thought they can make it happen. A couple of months later, we had it, and that was the first step,” added Madill. 

That component was integral, so that the rest of the stand can be built around it. Then, the rest of the design started to develop, including concrete blocks in the back. Kal Tire then partnered with Weldco-Beales Mfg. to bring the rest of the design to life and build the stand. A couple of months later, the final design drawings were ready. By the time the design was approved by Kal Tire leadership, it had taken 11 months to get the green light to go ahead with building the stand, then the location was mapped, and some existing infrastructure was utilized. 

“RIMEX supported us with some wheels and components, which was a huge contribution to the project,” said Dave Allan, vice president, Canada, at Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group.

“It is a CAT 797 hub. It has a RIMEX double gutter wheel in the outer position, called a speed wheel, and an IGLR wheel on the inside. So, the inside tire can be dismounted vertically without taking the outside wheel off, and that is very common, so we specifically chose that wheel type to be able to simulate the actual work that our technicians do in the field. It is the exact same setup/assembly that our technicians work on if they go to our customer site,” Madill explained.