Sigitas Žilius, a shareholder of the carrier company Simatra specializing in delivery of partials from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey has just handed in one of his truck's keys to the center. S. Žilius has been operating in transportation business for decades. Creative, open to innovations and an outstanding leader, he managed to built up a successful globally operating carrier company and survive severe recessions in Lithuania. S. Žilius strongly believes that open-mindedness and cooperation are the key to success in business. The idea to donate a carrier truck to the training center came to his mind as he realized shortcomings in practical skills of newly qualified drivers seeking careers in long haul transportation companies. Jeruzale Labor Force Training center was lucky to become the first training center for long haul drivers where trainees drive a truck identical to those used by major Lithuanian carriers.

"As I've been closely observing the process for years, I realized that training of long haul drivers is still far from ideal. Every month our company receives over a dozen job applications from newly trained drivers. As they start at the company, the lack of actual professional skills soon becomes obvious as their training is done on a truck and not on a semitrailer carrier, which is not the same thing to deal with. Already at the first days at work, many of them get shocked when tasked to park a semitrailer along the ramp. For most of the new drivers it is an absolutely new experience. To deal with the problem we decided to dispose to the training center one of our carrier trucks, fully equipped for training and free of charge," says S.Žilius.

The donated carrier truck is to be used and maintained within Simatra's private facilities at Kalno st. 92 to give trainees an opportunity to try industrial operations in a real situation: coupling, uncoupling, driving inside and outside the hangar, loading, unloading, tyre maintenance, customs warehouse operations and procedures.

"Over one hundred trainee drivers are trained at the center a year. Simatra made a really generous contribution to positively affect the training process. Not only is it likely to boost the quality of training, but to build up relationships between the trainee and the potential employer as well. From now on, the training environment is going to be the same as that of a real transportation company. Instructors at the center were really excited to learn the news and try the vehicle to be handed to trainees next month already," claims M. Černius.

It is by no means the final point in the story. A semitrailer to complement the truck is already in Simatra's nearest plans. "We are very serious about training and the competences new drivers are likely to bring to the company. This is why our ambitions extend to include company's car maintenance professionals, warehouse managers and customs brokers into the training process. We have already prepared a special training syllabus comprising a comprehensive training for drivers, managers and forwarding agents to have fully qualified professionals ready to independently perform in the industry on completion. Practical training for customs agents and financial professionals in the field is likely to be introduced in the nearest future," says S.Žilius.

For admirers, Simatra’s plans may be inspiring, rivals may call it money in vain or ill-founded brand stretching, but it sure is an example to be followed by others as the market of qualified drivers is shrinking dramatically.