R.T. Rogers has handed the keys to a small fleet of retired trucks to the diesel service technology programs at New River Community College.
Given a choice of selling or donating, Michael Ballard says Greg Rogers initiated the idea of recycling the aging work vehicles into a mechanics classroom environment to teach students hands-on how to work on diesel using vehicles.
Ballard said, “the trucks had reached the extent of their usefulness” for the Hinton based oil company, and instructor Jonathan Hartwell said he is grateful for the contributions because “these trucks are valuable teaching tools.”
“I can explain stuff all day long, but without examples, students don’t learn as much as something tangible that people can fix or use to troubleshoot,” said Hartwell. “Other companies have donated aging equipment, but nothing to this extent. I think the most important aspect of working with these trucks is that the trucks are older with ‘old world’ problems. The problems are easily identified while students go through the classes and they’ll acquire some knowledge of what old trucks have.”
Once the diesel certification program is completed, Hartwell said, “they will be able to go to work in dealerships or go directly to a shop or dealership that only services semi-trucks.”
Hartwell said the five retired trucks from R.T. Rogers are now among a small fleet of other trucks diesel trucks the company donated two years ago.
“Not all the trucks are old, some of them only go back to 2008, they all are computerized, but not as advanced as trucks produced now. It doesn’t matter if they’re technologically older because the brakes and suspension stay the same, there aren’t a lot of variants.”
Though many of the oil company’s trucks aren’t particularly old, the service they’ve provided is extensive.
This time of year, Rogers Oil’s dispatcher Michael Adkins said, the company’s 15 propane and heating fuel trucks are on the road seven days a week, most days dawn ‘til dusk, some days with as many as “500 calls in two days, sometimes as emergencies even in the middle of the night, and when we receive calls we turn the key and send the truck out to take care of our customers.”
The diesel technology program at New River Community and Technical College is offered at the Advanced Technology Center in Ghent. The program trains students to be light to medium maintenance technicians, ready for jobs.
Hartwell also said students are eligible for free tuition in the year-long training program.
“Rogers’ tanker trucks,” among the variety of trucks they have generously contributed to the college, Hartwell said, “offer the 15 future diesel mechanics an extra component to learn about and service. When drivers haul fuel instead of trailers there’s a need for more safety precautions.”
