Menlo Park, CA, Oct. 29, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- UPS has opened another next generation driver training facility in Menlo Park, CA. The new UPS Integrad® facility bolsters UPS’s growing portfolio of advanced training sites, increasing the pace of preparing UPS drivers to serve customers safely and efficiently.
“Helping new UPS drivers to meet our high standards requires that we adapt new training techniques and tools,” said Joe Finamore, UPS vice president of Global Leadership and Talent Development. “This new building will improve use experiential training in a next generation curriculum that better prepares UPS drivers.”
UPS Integrad training centers model the philosophy of “teach me, show me, let me.” Drivers learn the UPS driving and service methods, are shown how the methods work, and then practice them in a realistic, hands-on fashion. UPS Integrad training uses a mixture of 3-D computer simulations, webcast learning modules and traditional classroom instruction to complement activity in a controlled environment to reinforce safety, delivery and customer service training. Separate classes focus “train-the-trainer” emphasis for driver supervisors.
One of the building’s more notable features is an outside course designed to mimic a small town. Arrayed with small houses and street signs, “Clarkville USA” provides drivers with challenges they would confront in their daily pickup and delivery activity. Instructors use the course to test elements of safety, customer service and efficiency – critical requirements for all UPS drivers.
“Our goal is to ensure UPS drivers are fully equipped to effectively perform all aspects of their jobs,” said George Willis, president of UPS’s West Region. “UPS customers have come to expect nothing less than excellent service from the men and women who wear the iconic brown uniform.”
UPS initially worked with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Virginia Tech and the Institute for the Future to study the way young people learn in an increasingly computerized culture. Since the first UPS Integrad site opened in Landover, Md., in 2007, UPS has seen dramatic improvement in safety, production and service indices, as well as workforce retention.
The Menlo Park site joins Dallas and Atlanta locations that have just opened to total seven sites. Other locations include suburban Chicago, Portland, OR and Phoenix.
About UPS
UPS (NYSE: UPS) is a global leader in logistics, offering a broad range of solutions including transporting packages and freight; facilitating international trade, and deploying advanced technology to more efficiently manage the world of business. Headquartered in Atlanta, UPS serves more than 220 countries and territories worldwide. The company can be found on the web at ups.com® and its corporate blog can be found at longitudes.ups.com. To get UPS news direct, visit pressroom.ups.com/RSS.
Dan Cardillo
404-828-8744
dcardillo@ups.com
