The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) on Jan. 24 announced a new member service to help effectively train more drivers to meet the Entry Level Driver Training (ELDT) requirements set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
“When FMCSA adopted the ELDT requirement for new CDL Class A/B or HAZMAT amid the already problematic truck driver shortage, ARA flagged a need for training resources to help its member companies safely and quickly train new drivers,” said ARA Senior Vice President of Public Policy & Counsel Richard Gupton.
“By partnering with the National Propane Gas Association’s (NPGA) Administrative Compliance Experts (ACE), ARA is able to relieve some of the pressure on ag retailer members caused by the ongoing need for more truck drivers on the road,” Gupton said.
As an FMCSA Registered Training Provider, NPGA’s ACE Services is authorized to submit all the required materials to FMSCA on behalf of the participating company. ACE Services provides the resources needed so that behind-the-wheel training can be done in-house with a qualified instructor, ARA said.
ARA members enrolled in the new member service will benefit from ACE handling, including FMCSA paperwork and filings, FMCSA audits, and training materials and training equipment guidance to meet FMCSA requirements. ARA said it will launch this member service in a webinar on Jan. 30 with ACE.
ACE said the service has helped train more than 3,000 drivers and can save companies up to $3,000 per driver. ARA members will be able to unlock ACE network partner pricing available at various tiers of service with separate pricing for HAZMAT-only.