AdvanceOnline Solutions Partnering with Arkansas and TMTA to Promote DOT Transportation Safety Institute's Motor Carrier Safety and Compliance Curriculum

January 12, 2007, Houston, TX - AdvanceOnline Solutions, Inc. announced partnership agreements with the Arkansas Trucking Association (ATA) and the Texas Motor Transportation Association (TMTA) to promote a series of web-based management - and driver-oriented courses approved by the Transportation Safety Institute (TSI) of the U. S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

The two trucking associations will offer its member companies the DOT-TSI branded Motor Carrier Safety Compliance courses along with AdvanceOnline's highly regarded hazardous materials (HM) course curriculum. The Motor Carrier Safety courses were developed by AdvanceOnline Solutions in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Transportation's Transportation Safety Institute (TSI) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Each person who successfully completes the Motor Carrier Safety Compliance courses will receive an official DOT-TSI Certificate of Completion.

"Online training places TMTA members in the driver's seat by allowing them to control not only cost but the ability to customize courses based upon their needs," said TMTA President John Esparza. "This is another great example of the unique opportunities we want to continue to develop for our members."

"These courses are the best available and were tested by one of our larger member trucking companies before we finalized this partnership," said Lane Kidd, ATA president. Kidd said the agreements will open up management training opportunities for thousands of people because the training can be completed for a fraction of the cost a company would spend to send employees to on-site training classes."

"These courses offer affordable, self-paced Internet-based training that can be completed anywhere, anytime," said Esparza. "Our number one goal day in and day out is improving safety and this partnership affords us yet another way to accomplish that."

Under the agreement, the TMTA and ATA will link member companies to the courses through their respective web sites. Companies will receive secure and confidential login clearances for their respective employees who enroll in the courses.

"As a leader in online safety and compliance training, AdvanceOnline has long recognized that collaboration with state motor carrier associations such as TMTA and ATA are vital not only to membership growth but also critical for improved public safety," said Kent Urdahl, President and COO, AdvanceOnline Solutions. "These agreements will make our DOT/TSI and HAZMAT courses available more broadly, increase options for members, lower barriers to education, and expand participation."

Urdahl said that AdvanceOnline is negotiating with other trucking associations and that future announcements will be forthcoming.

Supplemental Information:

DOT/TSI Online Courses

The DOT/TSI courses are divided into two distinct series. A Management series enables transportation professionals, including safety directors, supervisors, operations managers, drivers, shop foremen, and other management officials, to better understand the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's regulations. TSI has given special emphasis to all of the Acute & Critical Regulations upon which a motor carrier's safety rating is determined. The Driver series also addresses Federal Motor Carrier Regulations, and emphasizes specific driver responsibilities. A Master Certificate from the TSI is also available to all who complete either series of courses.

The courses offered currently include:

Management Series

DOT/TSI Financial Responsibility for Passenger-Carrying Motor Carriers
DOT/TSI Financial Responsibility for Property-Carrying Motor Carriers
DOT/TSI Motor Carrier General Applicability: Who and When
DOT/TSI Parts and Accessories Necessary for Safe Operation
DOT/TSI Commercial Driver's License Regulations
DOT/TSI Hours of Service for Safety Management Personnel - October 2005 Updates
DOT/TSI Safety Fitness Rating Process and SafeStat: Getting the Score
DOT/TSI Motor Carrier Driver Qualifications
DOT/TSI Driving Commercial Motor Vehicles: Rules of the Road
DOT/TSI Inspection, Repair, and Maintenance for Motor Carriers
DOT/TSI Drugs and Alcohol: Keeping It Straight

Driver Series

DOT/TSI Driver's Guide to Drug and Alcohol Regulations
DOT/TSI Driver's Guide to Driver Qualification Regulations
DOT/TSI Driver's Guide to Driving CMVs
DOT/TSI Driver's Guide to CDL Requirements
DOT/TSI Driver's Guide to Inspection Requirements
DOT/TSI Driver's Guide to Hours of Service - October 2005

HAZMAT Online Courses

AdvanceOnline's HAZMAT courses meet DOT requirements to train employees who directly affect the safe ground transportation of hazardous materials. Such employees include those who load, unload, or handle hazardous materials; prepare hazardous materials for transportation; or are responsible for the security of transporting hazardous materials. Courses also cover requirements enacted in 2003 that are designed to enhance the safety of hazardous materials.

They include:

DOT Hazardous Materials General Awareness - 2003 Security Updates
DOT Training for Drivers of Hazmat Shipments - 2003 Security Updates
DOT Training for Offerors of Bulk and Non-bulk Hazmat Packages - 2003 Security Updates
DOT Training for Offerors of Non-Bulk Hazmat Packages - 2003 Security Updates

For Further Information:

Chris Whitt
AdvanceOnline Solutions
(713) 952-1150
cwhitt@advanceonline.com

John D. Esparza
Texas Motor Transportation Association
(800) 727-7135
john@tmta.com

Lane Kidd
Arkansas Trucking Association
(501) 372-3462
lanekidd@arkansastrucking.com

AdvanceOnline Solutions, Inc.

AdvanceOnline Solutions is a leading provider of Web-based DOT, OSHA, and health and safety, and human resource compliance training. An innovator in online training, AdvanceOnline is the first company to offer a Web-based OSHA 10-Hour Construction Safety course accepted by OSHA for issuing course completion cards and the only online training company to offer DOT-TSI certificate courses addressing Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.

Texas Motor Transportation Association

The Texas Motor Transportation Association is the Austin, Texas-based trade association representing more than 43,000 trucking companies, both for hire and private fleets, operating in Texas. Members include not only Texas-based companies but also national companies who operate commercial vehicles in the state. Members range from Fortune 500 companies to very small one-truck operations and everything in between. Their business operations encompass everything from typical dry and temperature controlled common carriers to sand, gravel, construction, small package, and fuel haulers. They include specialized oilfield services and private fleet operations that exist as one element of a larger organization.

Arkansas Trucking Association

The Arkansas Trucking Association is a corporation owned by trucking companies, private carrier fleets, and businesses that provide services or supplies to the trucking industry. The organization offers services that are designed to promote the business and economic climate in which trucking companies operate. The organization also represents the collective interests of member companies in the political and governmental arenas.

The organization's membership includes such Arkansas based trucking companies and private fleets as J. B. Hunt Transport, ABF Freight System, Wal-Mart Stores, USA Truck, P.A.M. Transport, and Tyson Foods. Also represented are national transportation companies that have major operational facilities in Arkansas such as FedEx Freight, Schneider National, and United Parcel Service.

We Want Your Feedback

With our website, we aim to provide all the safety and compliance resources you need to help you have a safer work environment and comply with applicable Federal safety regulations. You don't have to search for answers anymore - you can find them right here. If you know a good resource we don't already have listed, give us a call or send us an email. We'd love to hear from you!