The Coordinating Committee For Automotive Repair (CCAR®) has initiated an Internet-based training program - HazMatU - to educate automotive dealers and parts operations on important hazardous material regulations. 

HazMatU is designed to help individuals working in the automotive industry to gain a clear and accurate understanding of the complex U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations for the transport of hazardous materials, also known as "HazMat."

"We welcome the opportunity to work with dealers and parts distribution centers with HazMatU," said Guy Bargnes, CCAR Chairman. "The introduction of HazMatU represents a continuation of CCAR's efforts to assist the automotive industry in acquiring a greater understanding of its compliance responsibilities in areas related to safety and the environment." Bargnes is director of marketing, BASF Corporation, NAFTA Region/ Automotive Refinish.

CCAR, working in cooperation with ShipMate, Inc., a HazMat specialty training company based in Torrance, California, was selected to develop and provide the HazMat training by the North American Automotive HazMat Action Committee (NAAHAC), a group of regulatory compliance specialists representing the major automotive manufacturers in North America.

"NAAHAC and the automobile industry expect that this new program will not only improve hazardous product transportation compliance and safety, but serve as a model for other industries and shippers as well," said John Dho, 2006 NAAHAC chair, who is Regulatory Coordinator of American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

HazMatU is available 24 hours a day to subscribers. At a per facility cost of $299 for the annual subscription, HazMatU allows employees in a dealership or parts center to access the program.

"Maintaining Hazmat training compliance at multiple parts distributions centers across the U.S. has been a challenge," said Tim Hess, NAAHAC member and manager-parts transportation of Hyundai Motor America. "The CCAR/ShipMate online training program has added the ability to train our employees without disrupting the work schedules, and we are also able to train new employees faster."

For more information on HazMatU, call 888-686-4445 or visit www.hazmatu.org.