Fyda Freightliner’s Ohio dealerships, with locations in Columbus, Cincinnati, Youngstown, and soon in Zanesville, recently donated a Detroit DD13 engine to Washington State Community College in support of its Auto/Diesel Technologies Program. The engine represents a nearly $30,000 investment in the students of WSCC, who will be an invaluable resource as they graduate into the workforce having hands-on experience with the most modern, state-of-the-art engine technology.

“Fyda Freightliner has been working with the Auto/Diesel Technologies program at Washington State Community College for many years. We continue to be very proud of our association and of the work being done in support of producing the finest students and graduates, who eventually become high quality technicians within our marketplace,” said Tim Fyda, president of Fyda Freightliner, Inc.  “It’s critically important to us that we help give every opportunity for success to the students at WSCC. Adding a current model Detroit engine to their program, with the possibility for them to take part in the Daimler Get Ahead free web-based training program, provides both hands-on and virtual process training in one place,” said Tim.

The Get Ahead program is available at WSCC and covers Freightliner, Western Star, and Detroit products. The Get Ahead program is an excellent resource at WSCC, which allows students to earn credits toward industry-recognized certifications. Once Daimler certified, technicians are able to perform warranty work, which is a vital resource within the fast-paced transportation market. All Fyda Freightliner technicians are factory trained and certified, an investment which can take up to four years and 1400 hours to achieve expert level certification. In addition, Fyda Freightliner requires annual certification updates for continuous improvement.

The need for high-quality technicians in the transportation and logistics marketplace continues to grow exponentially with each passing year. Bill Kolibaba, WSCC Advisory Board member, and longtime Fyda Freightliner employee, works to recruit high school and other students into the WSCC program in order to ensure an adequate number of high-quality technicians are available to serve the needs of the Fyda Freightliner customer base into the future. “The donation of the Detroit DD13 engine is a very significant investment in the students of WSCC, as it represents the latest and greatest EPA-certified engine technology by Detroit, the market leader," said Kolibaba.

“The donation of the Detroit DD13 engine is a very significant investment in the students of WSCC, as it represents the latest and greatest EPA-certified engine technology by Detroit, the market leader," said Kolibaba.

“We are delighted to be able to implement this new engine into our program. We are increasing the value of the education our students are receiving thanks to Fyda’s generous contribution,” recognized Brenda Kornmiller, Dean of Business, Engineering, Industrial Technologies & Workforce Development at WSCC.