While the federal government is taking action to address English-language proficiency requirements and non-domiciled CDLS, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is telling Congress there’s a way to nip many of those problems in the bud: driver training.
On Monday, Oct. 20, OOIDA submitted a letter to House and Senate leaders urging them to improve truck driver training, licensing and qualifications. Those issues address several problems that occur before anyone gets a CDL.
“Simply put, far too many individuals are entering the trucking industry without the basic skills necessary to safely operate a commercial vehicle,” OOIDA President Todd Spencer stated in the letter. “Additionally, inconsistent and improper licensing processes among states have permitted hundreds of thousands of unqualified drivers to work on our nation’s roads, which has needlessly resulted in numerous fatal crashes.”
OOIDA is calling on Congress to clean up five areas of the process to obtain a CDL.
First, the Association wants to bolster the entry-level driver training standards. Currently, no behind-the-wheel hours are required. OOIDA wants a mandatory 30 behind-the-wheel hours before getting a CDL.
“Compared to the brief evaluation an examiner is currently required to conduct, mandatory (behind-the-wheel) training provides greater opportunity to evaluate the skills of the entry-level driver and for the trainer to offer corrective actions,” Spencer said. “These hours expose the entry-level driver to multiple road signs and various traffic/roadway situations, giving the instructor more options to identify and correct deficiencies.”
Second, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration could better use the Training Provider Registry to remove bad actors. Only a handful of the thousands of training providers have been removed or are currently recommended for removal. Additionally, it is not clear whether FMCSA is tracking where unsafe drivers are getting their training certifications.
Third, new-entrant audit requirements should be strengthened. OOIDA said that the barriers to entry are too low, allowing bad actors to come in with little-to-no resistance.
“U.S. DOT’s New Entrant Safety Audit is now conducted almost entirely online, making it more a reflection of an applicant’s ability to complete administrative paperwork rather than understanding how to operate a trucking business at the safest level,” Spencer said. “The lack of sufficient review for new entrants also allows ‘chameleon carriers’ to reenter our industry with relative ease, despite previous violations.”
Fourth, CDL exemptions and waivers need to go away. Specifically, larger carriers are getting waivers for regulations requiring a CDL holder to be in the front seat when a permit holder is behind the wheel. OOIDA stated that these waivers fly in the face of safety.
Lastly, the Association is calling for more oversight and accountability for third-party CDL testing providers. Although there are regulations overseeing third-party skills examiners, no such rules exist for knowledge examiners.
Additionally, OOIDA is urging Congress to pass Rep. David Rouzer’s, R-N.C., Non-Domiciled CDL Integrity Act. Formally HR5688, the bill would codify an interim final rule creating stricter requirements for issuing non-domiciled CDLs.
On the other hand, OOIDA is asking Congress to reject the Developing Responsible Individuals for a Vibrant Economy (DRIVE) Safe Act. That bill aims to introduce 18- to 20-year-olds to interstate trucking. The Association told lawmakers that supporters of the bill are using the “driver shortage” myth to “maintain a steady flow of cheap labor.” It went on to explain there is actually “tremendous driver turnover” due to undertrained drivers being thrust into a job unprepared. LL
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