Business Standards

  Enrollment:

• Schools will not deny admission on the basis of race, creed, color, sex or national origin.

• The school is solely responsible for all known advertising and promotions. If a third party admissions representative or inquiry generation firms used, it is the schools responsibility to direct and control the content and/or location of any and all verbal, print or electronic communications made by the third party. A school may not advertise either directly or indirectly that it is affiliated with the trucking industry.

• Schools will provide a written training program for employed admissions  representatives and will ensure that recruiters are properly licensed or registered.

• School personnel will not discredit other schools by imputing dishonest conduct, or inability to perform contracts.  They will not make any other false representations concerning the character, nature, quality, value or scope of their courses of instruction.

• School personnel will not knowingly influence any student to leave another educational institution, nor encourage any person to change plans after signing an enrollment application and paying the regular fee of another school. Scholarships are not to be used as a recruiting device, nor are discounts to be used as an enticement to enroll.

• Students enrolling in a member school through the use of tuition finance programs shall be charged the same tuition for a course of instruction, and shall receive written notice regarding the terms for partial course completion

• Schools will provide financing guidance and an appropriate package of financial assistance for institutional costs.

• Schools will have an equitable and prompt refund and cancellation policy, which is consistent with regulatory and/or accrediting standards, if possible.

 Instructors:

• School instructors will possess good character and a professional attitude.

• Instructors will be trained to teach.  Instructors will be licensed/certified where appropriate.

• Schools will provide instructors and staff with professional development adequate to maintain their professional knowledge and skills.

• Before hiring a former employee of another school, schools will conduct a pre-screening check on that employee with the former institution to assure quality performance of that individual.

• Student/Instructor ratios should be maintained at the following levels:  four students to one instructor for over-the-road, in-cab training: and twelve students to one instructor for field or yard training maximum.

Student Requirements:

• It is the schools responsibility to ensure that applicants are reasonably qualified to enter their training program.

• As a requirement for acceptance to a school, the prospective student should have the valid/applicable state drivers license and permit (if required) for entrance to resident training.  The prospective student should not have his/her driving privilege suspended in any state.

• Prospective students should demonstrate physical qualifications by passing a DOT physical examination and drug screen.

• Tuition should be refunded to the student if he is unable to pass the DOT physical examination, provided the disqualifying condition existed prior to enrollment.

• In the event that a disqualifying physical condition develops after enrollment, the school should adjust the tuition in accordance with the school refund policy, using the date of the occurrence of the disability as the termination date of the students obligation.

Disclosure:

1. Schools will ensure that prospective students are fully and accurately informed about the nature of the specific training experience provided.

• Schools will disclose in writing to prospective students the Federal DOT Requirements and any other requirements regarding:

• Minimum age

• Acceptable vision

• Acceptable hearing

• Physical condition

• Language

• Driving record

• Drug abuse policy

1. Prospective students will be made aware of the students obligations regarding transportation to the school, room and meal arrangements, and other requirements necessary for on-site school attendance.

1. Schools will provide prospective students with clear explanation of the various job entry requirements, without any overt or implied claim or guarantee of employment made at any time.

Course of Instruction:

1. Training should enable the student to learn the skills required to drive a tractor-trailer or other vehicle, and to apply these skills to specific driving situations.

1. School instruction will conform to laws and regulations of each of the states in which it operates.

1. Schools will provide each student with a written copy of DOT Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.

1. Schools will provide driving experience over a variety of road types, traffic conditions, and driving situations.

1. Schools will provide and document that each student has received the minimum hours of behind-the wheel instruction and training as advertised in the school's promotional literature. Students enrolled in combined home study distance learning/residence schools who successfully complete the correspondence distance learning sequence of the course within the proscribed time limits should be afforded the opportunity to begin on-site resident training within 60 days of the completion of the correspondence distance learning segment.

1. Schools will provide for each graduate to be tested for a commercial license, where required, in the state in which the student resides at the time of enrollment, or, at the students option, in the state in which he/she trained, if permitted by law, including, where required or necessary, a tractor trailer testing specialist, instructor, or sponsor.

1. Schools must have a written policy that is available to students, regarding retraining and retesting.

Competencies:

1. Graduates of the school training program must demonstrate understanding of the basic operation of the tractor-trailer so that they may function properly as an entry-level driver in the trucking industry.

• The graduate must be able to demonstrate safe motor vehicle control and procedure skills for the tractor-trailer under situations normally encountered in the trucking industry, so that he/she can successfully attain a basic commercial drivers license as required by the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986.

• The graduate must be familiar with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, including hours of service and maintenance of logs, so that he/she will be able to comply with these regulations as an entry-level commercial driver Graduates must demonstrate that they meet federal, state, and local standards for entry-level employment in the trucking industry.

 Placement:

• Without guarantee of employment, schools will provide students with resources and assistance in job placement.

• The extent and nature of placement services provided are as claimed by the schools promotional literature.

• The school must demonstrate that graduates of the training program are employable by documenting placement statistics.