Newly formed B-3-1 LLC has purchased of all assets of National Business Institute of Florida Inc., otherwise known as NBI Truck Driver Training. Under the new ownership, the company will be rebranded as FleetForce Truck Driving School.
The school will suffer no interruptions to its services as it continues to provide truck driver training programs delivered by the highest quality instructors to meet Class A CDL license requirements of combined classroom and behind the wheel truck driver training.
Established in 1981 by Mark and Laurie Lavinsky, the company will now be helmed by Tra Williams as its Managing Member and President. The Lavinskys will remain on as consultants to ensure a smooth transition to the new entity.
“After nearly 40 years at the head of NBI, Laurie and I look forward to a well-deserved retirement,” said Mark Lavinsky, founder of NBI. “We are proud to have had a hand in the training and placement of thousands of students in a rewarding career as professional truck drivers over the last four decades. And we are thrilled to see Williams and B-3-1 carry our vision forward as FleetForce. As someone who has had a long career in multi-unit, multi-state business operations, Williams has the business acumen and drive to face the challenges of an industry on the rise.”
Williams believes that the COVID-19 pandemic will prove a game-changer for the industry and the need for well-trained truck drivers is on a far more rapid incline. Given the gap between logistics companies seeking truck drivers and the Department of Labor’s stats of 56 million workers having filed for unemployment over the last six months, Williams thinks that the need for well-established truck training schools like NBI – now FleetForce – has never been greater.
“The American Trucking Association (ATA) reports that there were 3.6 million truck drivers employed throughout the U.S. in 2019. That’s an increase of 1.7% from 2018 – long before anyone could have predicted what a global pandemic would do to the country,” said Williams. “Therefore, we will be expanding our training program over the next few months to meet the needs of business owners who must comply with the Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) standards set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).”
Slated to go in effect by 2022, these entry-level truck operator standards require a mix of both core classroom curriculum and behind-the-wheel training from FMCSA-approved trainers, according to Williams. FleetForce plans to provide certified driving instructors to train onsite – utilizing the company’s vehicles to accomplish the requirements of the new ELDT standards.
“We not only give individuals an opportunity to launch their own business as for-hire drivers, but we’re also looking to form long-standing relationships with corporations that wish to enhance their logistics departments,” Williams said. “The FleetForce team looks forward to being part of the solution for people who keep this country moving.”
