FAQ

During a transportation survey, JAARS personnel visit a country to determine the specific needs facing translation teams—for air, land and water transportation. Then, our personnel make recommendations for improving the transportation situation in that region. With that information, JAARS offers any assistance possible, including training, personnel and equipment.

Our Off-Road Driver Safety Course is designed to prepare students for driving in remote areas, where emergency assistance is often unavailable. The course is typically held at the JAARS Center in Waxhaw, N.C., though it is also taught as needed around the world.

Through a combination of classroom sessions and hands-on experience, we teach students to navigate harsh terrain and solve common transportation problems. We also train students in basic four-wheel-drive maintenance. Some topics we cover are:

• Choosing vehicles.
• Equipping vehicles for off-road driving.
• Understanding the drive train.
• Off-road driving techniques.
• Getting “unstuck.”
• Loading vehicles.

To request more information about our Off-Road Driver Safety Course, please submit our online contact form.

Any member of a Bible translation or evangelical mission organization is welcome to enroll in our Off-Road Driver Safety Course. If you are interested in taking this course, please use our online contact form to request more information.

Yes. In fact, one of our primary goals is to investigate how alternative fuels can benefit translation teams throughout the world. We are currently researching:

• Biodiesel for use in diesel-powered vehicles and generators.
• Ethanol for processing biodiesel and use in modified gas engines.

Typically, our department does not directly purchase vehicles for translation teams. Our role is to provide consultation and recommend vehicles, such as four-wheel-drives, pickups, ATVs and motorbikes. We then connect translation teams with discounted vehicle providers, such as MATS International.

In many locations, we have trained maintenance personnel that can upkeep the vehicles used by translation teams. In other areas, however, teams must rely on manufacturers' dealerships or local repair facilities—which are often lacking in equipment or proper training.

Therefore, to reduce transportation delays, we offer basic four-wheel-drive maintenance training for all people who will be driving a translation team’s vehicle.

As resources allow, we provide support services throughout the world. Some of our recent projects have taken place in Ethiopia, Cameroon, Vanuatu and Tanzania. We also provide an Off-Road Driver Safety Course at the JAARS Center in Waxhaw, N.C.