Automotive dealers are subject to regulatory requirements for the transportation of hazardous materials. Most automotive dealers are independently owned and operated and many lack the resources to obtain pertinent hazardous materials information.

Employees of dealerships who affect the transportation of hazardous materials are required by law to be trained, tested and certified. Dealers can find themselves in violation due to the complexity of ever-changing regulations, varied levels of hazmat transportation regulations, the complexity and increasing number of hazardous materials in vehicles, and the recent increased level of regulatory Hazmat inspections.

Dealers who are currently obtaining training material or courses from outside consultants are getting material that may not be tailored to the automotive industry. Content may be very general and much of it outside the scope of the dealers day-to-day operations. This leads to a greater possibility of non-compliance and wasted resources.

Because of this requirement, NAAHAC (North American Automotive Hazmat Action Committee) has chosen CCAR ® and ShipMate™ to provide a Hazardous Materials (HazMat) Internet-based training program for automotive dealers.

Working together, CCAR®/ShipMate™ have created an automotive dealer training program that meets the DOT requirements for receiving, preparing, offering or transporting hazardous materials domestically both by ground and air. The program was officially launched at the NAAHAC Symposium at the Novi Sheraton in Michigan on Sept. 29th , 2005.

NAAHAC is a group of regulatory compliance specialists representing the following automotive manufacturers and suppliers:

NAAHAC's primary focus is to review pending and current Hazardous Materials Transportation regulations and develop concise informed responses for submission to the appropriate regulatory agencies. The group also looks to develop programs that will standardize functions across the automotive industry to ensure the safe transport of all hazardous products.

NAAHAC functions as an Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) work committee under the Occupational Health & Safety Steering Committee.

AIAG is a not-for-profit trade association of companies that are manufacturers of, and/or suppliers to, the makers of motor vehicles, such as heavy and light trucks, busses, off road equipment, motorcycles, and passenger cars. AIAG's purpose is to provide an open forum where volunteers from member companies cooperate in developing and promoting solutions that enhance the prosperity of the automotive industry. AIAG's focus is to continuously improve business processes and practices involving trading partners throughout the supply chain. While North American based, AIAG works jointly with automotive industry organizations in Europe, Japan, and elsewhere to develop global automotive industry standards and solutions.

The Coordinating Committee For Automotive Repair (CCAR ® ), is a 501(C)(3) not-for-profit organization and the acknowledged North American leader for Safety and Pollution Prevention for the automotive repair industry. CCAR ® provides online universities to more than 6,860 automotive related businesses and 1,900 schools in all 50 U.S. states, the Bahamas, and Canada. More than 1.5 million Safety and Pollution (S/P2) tests have been taken by various industry segments, including schools and universities.

Current programs of CCAR ® include:

• CCAR- Green Link ®

CCAR- Green Link ® is the National Automotive Environmental Compliance Assistance Center , operated by CCAR ® in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA). We help businesses and persons engaged in automotive service, collision repair, parts and other sectors of the automotive industry to better understand their environmental responsibilities and achieve compliance with environmental program requirements.

• Environmental Assistance Network

Environmental Assistance Network (EAN) assists with the environmental initiative of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. CCAR ® partners with Toyota to coordinate the EAN website and newsletter, which reach more than 1,400 Toyota and Lexus dealers around the U.S.

• S/P2 Online training

Safety and Pollution Prevention (S/P2) is an industry-recognized Internet-based training that addresses key safety and pollution prevention issues for automotive repair professionals. It has been crafted to adhere to U.S. EPA and OSHA standards. Retail and related businesses in Automotive Service and Collision Repair may purchase annual subscriptions to access S/P2; CCAR also provides the training at a greatly reduced rate to trade and vocational schools for their students in Automotive Service, Collision Repair and/or Diesel-Heavy Duty programs.

In addition, at the request of the automobile insurance industry, CCAR offers a “S/P2 Claims Staff Training” online course to raise the awareness among adjusters, appraisers and other field personnel of the environmental and safety concerns they may encounter.

• I/M Coordinators Network

The I/M Coordinators Network, formed by CCAR ® at the request of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Transportation & Air Quality [formerly Office of Mobile Sources], includes state, county and local government agencies engaged in Vehicle Emission Inspection and Maintenance [I/M] programs. CCAR ® manages the annual "I/M Solutions Forum" which provides its members with opportunity to share and exchange information and ideas. These gatherings include representation from participating jurisdictions, as well as industry sponsors and federal EPA personnel.

• CCAR-OSHA Alliance

In 2004, The Coordinating Committee for Automotive Repair (CCAR ® ) formalized an Alliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to address worker safety and health issues. The Alliance not only highlights workplace vehicle safety, but also focuses on abrasive wheel machinery (including associated silica hazards), and ergonomics.

ShipMate™ has more than 25 years collective experience in the development & delivery of hazardous materials transportation, environmental health & safety training programs for a number of industries including the automotive industry. Their expertise in the area of hazardous materials transportation is unsurpassed.

Currently, ShipMate™ has:

• More than 3,500 clients and has provided dangerous goods training and consulting for companies on 5 continents, 30+ countries and all 50 U.S. states.
• Provided hazardous materials, health & safety and environmental training to more than 25,000 students including most of the automotive manufacturers and many Tier 1 automotive suppliers.
• Conducted hundreds of environmental and hazardous materials transportation compliance reviews for automotive and other companies, including dealerships, manufacturing and assembly plants, vehicle processing centers, and parts distribution centers.