Technical and Product
Training for Truck
Specialists Since
1 9 6 4
1090 Eugenia Pl., Suite 101
Carpinteria, CA 93013
Tel: 805 684 4558
Fax: 805 684 2868

Increase your staff’s truck sales confidence with in-depth product knowledge. We provide cost effective truck product training considered essential by many in the industry. TMI courses in truck selection and application are self-paced and flexible, with no travel time or cost. Our Chevrolet truck product training will give your staff the knowledge and confidence to talk with the most knowledgeable prospects and be more effective in closing sales. As one TMI graduate wrote “The more you know, the more you sell".
The Precision Truck Training series of distance-education courses now offer two distinct five lesson courses that cover Chevrolet light duty trucks. These TMI courses provide training on two levels: generic coverage of fundamental truck knowledge, coupled with product application exercises. Graduates complete a written test after studying each lesson in the TMI textbook. The tests are mailed or faxed to TMI for grading by hand. Test scores are often returned in one business day. TMI graduates know how to spec the best truck for any given application.
The classic starter course for those new to the Chevrolet product line and product reference sources. In Course I students study and are tested on the latest Chevrolet product information and performance of SUVs, pickups and vans. The textbook covers both the basics of light trucks and how to find and interpret the latest product information using GM AutoBook and the GM Online Order Guide. Graduates complete five written tests using the TMI textbook and 2008 GM AutoBook. About 15 hours of study time is typically needed to complete this course. The cost for this effective product training is US$425 for students in the US or Canada.
All-new advanced light truck training completed in 2007, the LT-2 Course provides training above and beyond the basics of our introductory Course I. This course meets the advanced needs of the truck specialist, especially if they work with commercial, or fleet accounts. A great follow up for graduates of Course I, this course is also perfect for anyone who has a some knowledge of trucks, the Chevrolet product line, GM AutoBook and the Online Order Guide.
This course uses a two-tier approach to learning: Our TMI created Shadow line of trucks serve as precise examples for technical explanations. Topics and examples utilize our generic Shadow line of SUVs, crossovers, pickups, light- and medium-duty chassis-cabs. These TMI Shadows fully represent the current mix of Class 1-5 trucks sold in North America. We then follow up with product specific Chevrolet studies and testing that makes use of the 2008 GM AutoBook and GM Online Order Guide with a primary emphasis on chassis-cabs, from pickup-box deletes through C4500 and tilt-cab W4500. The tuition for the LT-2 Chevrolet Course is US$495 per student.
GET THE eBOOK: Our light duty Chevrolet course textbooks for both Course I and the LT-2 Course are available in an optional Acrobat PDF format that is compatible with most any Windows or Macintosh computer that can read a compact disk. Printed textbooks are included with all enrollments. The enhanced and fully searchable PDF textbook is a US$30 option for these courses.
Some of the benefits of TMI training include:
To Enroll: Download the TMI Catalog Sheet and Application, or call 800-447-1251 for more information or to enroll by phone.
Course I: Chevrolet Light Trucks Catalog and Application
And for a catalog sheet focused on the all-new
LT-2: Light Trucks Essentials—Chevrolet Catalog and Application
The PDF application form can be filled out on your computer and then printed for signing and faxing to TMI. The files are 350 to 450KB, so allow adequate time to fully download. The catalog sheet will give overseas rates, details on discounts for cash payment, and savings for group enrollments of five or more.
Download a 24 page PDF textbook sample for
Course I: Chevrolet Light TrucksOr a 34 page sample from the all new LT-2 Course textbook
LT2-Light Truck Essentials—ChevroletNOTE: These files are about 800 to 1400KB, so allow adequate time to download.
These book samples may have color enhancements found only in the optional eBook version of the textbook.
LESSON OUTLINE
Precision Truck Training
Course I — Chevrolet Light Truck Basics
Lesson 1 The Light Truck Market, Truck Size Categories, Incomplete and Special Models, Chassis Drive Types, The Ford Model Code System.
Lesson 2 Model Familiarization: Body, Engine Option Codes, Trim and Paint Codes, Order Guide, Preferred Equipment Groups.
Lesson 3 Weight Distribution—Simplified! Body and Payload Distribution, Load Capacity, Frame Strength, Chassis Components, Gross Weight Ratings.
Lesson 4 Fundamentals of Truck Performance: Engine Considerations, Torque, Horsepower, Axle Ratios, Transmissions, Power Losses, Power Demands, Fitting the Pieces Together.
Lesson 5 Selling Sport Utilities, Off-Road Performance, Bad Roads, Gradeability, Trailering, Tongue Weight Distribution, Pulling Capacity, Power Demands, Fifth Wheel Trailer Hitches.
Appendix Weights & Measures; Metric Equivalents, Tires: Load and Inflation Data, Tire-Axle Combinations & Engine Speeds, Frontal Areas of Light-Duty Trucks, Air Resistance Net Horsepower Requirements, Grade Net Horsepower Requirements, Road Surface Effects on Performance
Glossary: Truck Terms
Index Subjects and Terms
LESSON OUTLINE
Precision Truck Training
LT-2 — Chevrolet Light Truck Essentials
Lesson 1: Markets and categories of trucks and SUVs, Vehicle architecture, driveline types: 4x2, 4x4, AWD, Power teams, Engine types and design, Truck ratings: GVWRs and GVWs, Working with curb weight, payload capacity, Truck dimensions and abbreviations.
Lesson 2: Load Capacity, Frame Types and Strength, Suspension Systems, Types of Axles, Drive Gears, Differentials, Springs and Ratings, Shocks and Stabilizer Bars, Tires and Wheels; Construction, Tread Designs, Sizes, Load Ratings, Gross Axle Weight Ratings.
Lesson 3: The Three-Way Test: Obey the Limits, Weight Distribution in Percentages, Weight Distribution: Pickup, Full-Size SUV: Pushing the Limits, how to avoid Excesses. Weight Distribution Anomalies, Delivery Van, Body-Load CG to Rear Axle, Dump Trucks, Chassis-Cabs: The Body Connection, Equipment add-on Weights.
Lesson 4: Work, Torque and Power, Differences between Gas and Diesel Engines: Torque, Power and Operating Speeds. The Powertrain from Engine to Axle, Engine Speed at Road Speed, Harnessing Horsepower, Geared Speed, Choosing Axle Ratios, Automatic Transmissions, Manual Transmissions. Vehicle road speed: engine rpm, axle ratio, tire size and transmission ratios. Power losses, Grade Demands.
Lesson 5: Full- and Part-Time 4x4s, Locking Hubs and Differentials, Trailering, GVW, GTW and GCW, Tongue Weight, Load Distribution: Hitches, Trailer Classes, Towing Capacity, The Fifth-Wheeler, Truck-Trailer Performance, Altitude and Heat, Turbocharged vs Naturally Aspirated, Diesel and Gas Engines, Alternative Fuel Vehicles, Hybrid Gas-Electric Powertrains, Electrical & Cooling Systems, Steering, Brakes and Vehicle Control, PTOs, Fuel Economics, Gas or Diesel.
Appendix Tables: Weights and Measures/Metric Equivalents, Tire Load & Inflation, Tire-Axle Combinations & Engine Speeds, Rolling Resistance, Frontal Areas, Air Resistance, Grade HP Required, Road Surface Effects.
Glossary: Truck Terms
Index