Sometimes to build a strong business relationship, you might have to risk getting a little engine grease on your hands.

That’s all in a day’s work for the Enterprise team of Field Truck Maintenance Managers. But a recent training session gave these employees and their corporate support team the chance to take their job specialty to a whole new level.

The team traveled to the Navistar/International Product Support Center near Chicago, for hands-on technical training in an advanced Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) facility.

Chris D., Corporate Service Operations Manager, notes that the impetus for technical training came from the Field Truck Maintenance Managers themselves. “All of our guys have significant technical backgrounds, so they really appreciated the chance to do a deeper dive into the unique aspects of truck maintenance and repair,” he says.

Formed about five years ago, the Field Truck Maintenance team serves as a resource for field operations—coordinating with local shops to set up and manage maintenance agreements, oversee big-ticket repairs and monitor truck fleet quality. “It’s very valuable to have that expertise on staff,” Chris says. “As our truck fleet has grown, we’ve learned just how much trucks differ from cars—and how expensive they can be to maintain.”

The dialogue at the training session covered a broad range of topics, and all employees left with action-items and ideas.

“You talk about relevant training: Some of our team members started using what they learned in class while answering their work emails and voicemails that first night,” says Chris. “The time we spent together was definitely a big win.”