ACE driver training program passes FMCSA audit

May 26, 2026 By Brian Richesson 0 Comments

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) included the National Propane Gas Association’s (NPGA) Administrative Compliance Experts (ACE) program in a massive audit of entry-level driver training (ELDT) providers late last year and into the early part of 2026, the NPGA shared.

The ACE program was approved to remain on the training provider registry, while FMCSA shut down others that weren’t compliant with the law, explains Andrea Pavon, director of ACE services and external relations at NPGA.

FMCSA says its registry improves highway safety by ensuring that entry-level drivers of commercial motor vehicles complete training as required by the new ELDT regulations before testing for certain commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) and CDL endorsements.

Pavon says the audit was expected under the Trump administration – it was just a matter of when representatives would make their rounds.

“We didn’t have any issues, but they wanted to make sure we were doing everything we were supposed to be doing,” she says.

“They selected at random about 26 of the locations or companies that use ACE. And for the span of a week, I sat on a Zoom [call] with all of these companies as investigators came by and made sure that everything was done correctly.”

Pavon says she helped to show FMCSA representatives the ACE curriculum as well as the proper documentation, forms and checklists.

“They went through it all to verify that it’s being covered, that we’re keeping record of the behind-the-wheel trainers’ information, that we’re submitting everything correctly into FMCSA,” she says. “It was verifying curriculum and verifying that the process is all being done correctly.”

NPGA launched ACE in 2022 to assist propane marketers with the requirements associated with FMCSA’s ELDT regulations. The program helps marketers file paperwork and submit information to FMCSA. It also assists drivers as they navigate theory courses and participate in behind-the-wheel training. Since 2022, the program has enrolled more than 6,000 drivers from 400 companies and 42 states. It also offers the services to companies outside the propane industry.

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