With the EDLT deadline quickly approaching, we’re hearing a lot of questions from schools who want to comply with ELDT while also adapting their training due to the pandemic. These are the seven biggest questions we get about the upcoming ELDT requirements and On Ramp™, SambaSafety’s interactive training system for CDL schools.
1. Is On Ramp Compliant with the ELDT Mandate?
Yes! On Ramp covers all 30+ curriculum areas that are required for the theory portion of the ELDT mandate for both Class A and Class B CDLs. But On Ramp isn’t just an online entry-level driver training program. It comes with access to our powerful LMS for CDL schools, making it easy to comply with ELDT’s new testing and record-keeping requirements.
With On Ramp, you can automatically administer and score written tests and record completion data. You can also keep track of important student data like contact information, hours logged behind-the-wheel and anything other data point you want to track. Our LMS will directly report to the Training Provider Registry (TPR) once the government gets everything online.
With On Ramp, you can automatically administer and score written tests and record completion data.
2. Online Training will Help with COVID Social Distancing Requirements, won’t it?
No doubt about it. Online training provides a way for students and instructors to safely complete training without being crammed into the same small room, which is why many schools are looking into it during the pandemic. But the benefits of moving to online training for entry-level drivers will outlast the temporary necessity of social distancing.
Online training gives students and instructors more flexibility and improves the overall quality of training. Students can take training from home, a conference room, a training room, anywhere they have time and internet access. For the classroom component (whether virtual or face-to-face), instructors can assign online courses as prework and save valuable classroom time for questions and in-depth discussion.
The benefits of moving to online training will outlast the temporary necessity of social distancing.
>>Schedule your On Ramp demo to more about online ELDT curriculum today!
3. How do I Track Training Compliance?
On Ramp comes with Sentix LMS, which automatically tracks many elements of your training. Training records are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in our secure system. You can track which lessons have been assigned, started or not started, lessons in progress and completed lessons. As mentioned above, Sentix will let you report on pretty much any trackable data point (and you don’t need a bunch of expensive custom work to do it, just a simple conversation with your Client Success Manager).
You can also use On Ramp and Sentix to administer and score written tests, so you can prove that students have completed and mastered the training. Once the TPR is completed, On Ramp will automatically pass that data over, too.
In the interim, you can export records in spreadsheets and import and export records via an API or using web services. And if you have a legacy LMS with a student portal that you’re chained to (it happens!), you can use a single sign-on to make On Ramp a streamlined process.
SambaSafety is a third-party LMS provider, which means our tracking can serve as an official record of training tasks.
You can use On Ramp and Sentix to administer and score written tests, so you can prove that students have completed and mastered the training. Once the TPR is completed, On Ramp will automatically pass that data over, too.
4. How Will We Keep Track Among Our Different Locations and Trainers?
If your school has different locations and trainers, it can be a challenge to keep training content consistent across all of them.
Online training helps you provide consistent, repeatable training that’s easy to measure and track. Speaking of tracking, you can work with SambaSafety to track other elements of your school within Sentix, such as recruiting and job placement. For example, we integrate with platforms like TenStreet.
Online training helps you provide consistent, repeatable training that’s easy to measure and track.
5. Do We Need to Buy Any Hardware for Our Students?
No. Your students can take On Ramp training on their own device. On Ramp courses are accessible on smartphones, tablets and computers, anywhere there’s an internet connection. You could also provide students with access to training on a shared computer terminal.
Your students can learn from anywhere and any device with On Ramp online training.
6.Will Fleets Hire Drivers Who’ve Used Online Training?
We’ve established a lot of trust with the fleets who hire your students (they’re our main customers!), so we can confidently answer, yes!
Online training is the modern way to train. SambaSafety has provided over 16 million lessons in the fleet and school training markets. Drivers have become familiar with our cutting-edge technology and mastery-based training, and they respect it. Our online training for heavy-duty trucks, gets high approval ratings from drivers — 93% agree it makes them safer.
SambaSafety has provided over 16 million lessons in the fleet and school training markets.
7. How Can We Teach Someone to Driver a Truck Online?
You can’t! Well, not entirely, anyway. You can, however, use On Ramp to teach them the basics and knowledge skills they need to pass their written permit test. More importantly, you also track that they’ve learned and mastered those 30+ knowledge topics, and have the records needed for the DOT.
Teaching a driver online is more efficient than handing them a book or talking at them in a classroom. And it works so well that you’ll find classroom time is spent on more advanced topics.
It’s Time to Think Outside the Book
There are several reasons why so many CDL schools are adding online entry-level driver training like On Ramp. Whatever your reason, now is the time to add online training to your program. On Ramp will help your school track and record training without the paperwork. Bonus: It’s great for marketing, too! Students want modern training, and they’ll see that your school has taken the next step in driver education.
Request a demo of On Ramp today and set your school up for post-ELDT success!