Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/791967
PULSE March 2017 | Overdrive | 5 By Max Heine Editorial director mheine@randallreilly.com tivated. It's you and no one else beside you, my friend!" FMCSA, in the rule itself, offered an olive branch to those who be- lieved the BTW require- ment was necessary. "Our decision not to include the minimum BTW hours as part of the Class A and B curricula should not neces- sarily be construed as the Agency's last word on this subject," the agency wrote. The Commercial Vehicle Training Association sug- gested that, with the rule in place, more data might become available that would justify a revision for a BTW minimum. When I received my CDL 16 years ago, I logged relatively few hours operating the truck. I've known that if I were to turn to hauling, I would need plenty of behind-the-wheel expe- rience in a variety of settings before going solo over the road. As our roundup on the adjacent page indi- cates, most readers also feel it's a no-brainer that entry-level driver training should include a significant number of BTW hours. The Fed- eral Motor Carrier Safety Administration and industry stakeholders in a negotiated rulemak- ing committee originally set that at 30. But the agency since has withdrawn that requirement from the final training rule. Instead, trainers are supposed to assess the trainee's perfor- mance to see if it's adequate. One of two main objections to the 30-hour minimum is that no data clearly ties accidents to lack of BTW training. Studies are under way that might provide that data, but in the meantime, why not opt on the side of caution? If studies later prove there is no correlation, revisit the rule. The other objection is that individuals learn at different rates, so a skills-based requirement makes more sense. That's what American Trucking Associations spokesman Bill Sullivan uses to side with FMCSA, saying "skills, not simply time spent in a classroom or behind the wheel, should be the deciding factor." For catering to its fleet members, it doesn't hurt that ATA's rationale would minimize training costs and avoid worsening the so-called driver shortage. At any rate, why can't skills and BTW time both be weight- ed heavily? Consider a student who's cut a lot of classes and goofs off when he does attend. He's a good test-taker, so he crams for the exams and passes. But his level of mastery won't compare to that of the student who's attended all classes and done all of the homework and reading. Mastery of driving a heavy-du- ty truck, like mastering most things in life, requires baptism by immersion, not sprinkling. As a reminder of who many of these driver trainees are, consider a recent report from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. It found that those aged 19-24 are more likely than oth- er drivers to read and write text messages while driving and are less likely to support restrictions on distracted driving. Extended BTW hours might help wake up young CDL trainees to the vigilance required to do their jobs safely. FMCSA has embraced regulations as complicated and expensive as mandating the use of electronic logging devic- es and as simple as banning texting while driving. It's sadly ironic that the agency charged with improving trucking safety would rely on lame excuses to shrug its shoulders at a simple, common-sense way to shore up safety. Safety sidestep Why can't both demonstrated driving skills and a signifi- cant number of behind-the-wheel hours be mandated for entry-level drivers? Other reader views, via OverdriveOnline.com R.J.: As a training manager at a truck driving school, I see it firsthand. Thirty hours is not enough time BTW. Craig: Having graduated from a PTDI-certified course, I can say that even 30 hours is insuf- ficient to be able to handle a tractor and trailer safely. Michael: Having trained [post-CDL] more than 200 drivers for one company, I can honestly say that most of them were not ready at all to handle a cross-country trip. When you pay big money to go get trained, you have to expect a higher level of training. PTDI training holds a higher standard, and as far as getting a CDL, at least at the school I attended, you didn't get that CDL unless you earned it. Drivers have a lot more distractions, work overload and time issues than someone even 20 years ago. No job is worth getting yourself killed.