Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
Today I got to do a session in a Tractor/Trailer Simulator. This thing is awesome. They have the cab of a freightliner in a 53-foot reefer quad-slide. You actually sit in the cab of a real Freightliner... it's set up just like the simulators for military/commercial airplanes. 1 huge wrap-around video screen in front of the cab and mirror-shaped lcd monitors for rearview mirrors. The entire cab sits on hydraulic arms which move up-down/side to side depending on acceleration/braking/bumps in road,etc...
They can dial in what engine you have (from a 2??hp cummins up through a 600 cat) and transmission (from 5 to 18 spd). When used for proffesional training, they even input tire size, gear ratio, tire manufacturer, suspension type, trailer brand/weight, etc... so a fleet can train drivers on equipment exactly like what they will be driving.
I play a lot of computer games, but this was completely different. When I started to move forward, the instructor was standing outside the cab pointing out the different controls on the dash (yes, they ALL work)... . I kept thinking he was going to fall off and get run over, it is that realistic. I had them set me up with a 600 cat (of course) and an 18spd. Ran over some mailboxes, hit a schoolbus(yikes!), etc. . etc. .
After I got comfortable driving, the operator then began simulating failures (loss of air-pressure, tire-blow out, 80mph cross wind... tipped the trailer over, etc. . ).
Man this was fun, wish i could afford one.
You can go to TMTA's site www.tmta.com and look under resources and check the calendar to see if it will be in your area. IF it is, I highly recommend contacting the event coordinator and seeing if you can get on the list to "drive"... it's really an experience.
here's a pic and some info from their site. .
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(Austin, TX) – The Texas Motor Transportation Association will unveil its state-of-the-art Mobile Classroom/ Driver simulator to the public on Friday, August 16 in Houston. The full-motion simulator is built into a 53-foot trailer complete with a computer-based driver training classroom.
The Mobile Classroom/Driver Simulator is designed to: 1) Train professional truck drivers to be better and safer on the road and 2) Help the public understand what a truck driver experiences on the road.
“The advanced technology used makes this simulator one-of-a-kind in the world,” said TMTA President Bill Webb. “In the simulator, you are literally sitting in the cab of a working truck. Several scenarios can be provided at the touch of a button, from tire blowouts to severe fog conditions. ”
The simulator, developed by GE Capital I-SIM of Salt Lake City, is the first mobile full-motion simulator to exist. The uniqueness of the simulator stems from the motion-base that is built into the cab.
The technology also includes Tread I computer-based training inside the classroom made possible by Industrial Learning Technologies.
The nearly $1 million project is funded in part by a grant from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). More than 350,000 individuals are expected to pass through the simulator over the next year.
Many trucking companies are already scheduled to have the simulator for driver training, and several public appearances are on the calendar. Scheduled Houston participants in the program include the Sheldon ISD, Watson Moving and Storage, and Excargo Services. Please visit www.tmta.com to view a copy of the full calendar.
They can dial in what engine you have (from a 2??hp cummins up through a 600 cat) and transmission (from 5 to 18 spd). When used for proffesional training, they even input tire size, gear ratio, tire manufacturer, suspension type, trailer brand/weight, etc... so a fleet can train drivers on equipment exactly like what they will be driving.
I play a lot of computer games, but this was completely different. When I started to move forward, the instructor was standing outside the cab pointing out the different controls on the dash (yes, they ALL work)... . I kept thinking he was going to fall off and get run over, it is that realistic. I had them set me up with a 600 cat (of course) and an 18spd. Ran over some mailboxes, hit a schoolbus(yikes!), etc. . etc. .
After I got comfortable driving, the operator then began simulating failures (loss of air-pressure, tire-blow out, 80mph cross wind... tipped the trailer over, etc. . ).
Man this was fun, wish i could afford one.
You can go to TMTA's site www.tmta.com and look under resources and check the calendar to see if it will be in your area. IF it is, I highly recommend contacting the event coordinator and seeing if you can get on the list to "drive"... it's really an experience.
here's a pic and some info from their site. .
/////
(Austin, TX) – The Texas Motor Transportation Association will unveil its state-of-the-art Mobile Classroom/ Driver simulator to the public on Friday, August 16 in Houston. The full-motion simulator is built into a 53-foot trailer complete with a computer-based driver training classroom.
The Mobile Classroom/Driver Simulator is designed to: 1) Train professional truck drivers to be better and safer on the road and 2) Help the public understand what a truck driver experiences on the road.
“The advanced technology used makes this simulator one-of-a-kind in the world,” said TMTA President Bill Webb. “In the simulator, you are literally sitting in the cab of a working truck. Several scenarios can be provided at the touch of a button, from tire blowouts to severe fog conditions. ”
The simulator, developed by GE Capital I-SIM of Salt Lake City, is the first mobile full-motion simulator to exist. The uniqueness of the simulator stems from the motion-base that is built into the cab.
The technology also includes Tread I computer-based training inside the classroom made possible by Industrial Learning Technologies.
The nearly $1 million project is funded in part by a grant from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). More than 350,000 individuals are expected to pass through the simulator over the next year.
Many trucking companies are already scheduled to have the simulator for driver training, and several public appearances are on the calendar. Scheduled Houston participants in the program include the Sheldon ISD, Watson Moving and Storage, and Excargo Services. Please visit www.tmta.com to view a copy of the full calendar.
