If the goal is to reduce truck crashes, ensuring that truck drivers are well-trained before they ever receive a CDL seems like a logical place to start.
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., expressed that belief in a recent letter to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. The lawmakers called out the increasing number of CDL mills across the country.
“We write to urge the Department of Transportation to investigate the growing number of CDL mills,” Cotton and Barr wrote in the letter. “CDL mills are substandard training programs that offer quick credentials, and recent incidents and reports indicate these mills are prioritizing volume over proper safety and training requirements.”
A quick Google search will reveal CDL training schools that claim they can get people a license in 24 hours. The lawmakers said that real training is needed to make the highways safe.
“These CDL mills have exploited loopholes in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s entry-level driver training regulations to churn out minimally trained drivers with little regard for real-world proficiency,” the letter stated. “These operations offer rushed, test-focused courses with little to no hands-on experience, leaving new entrants ill-equipped to handle the real-world demands of interstate trucking. This probe should rigorously assess whether CDL training programs are upholding entry-level driver training standards, particularly with behind-the-wheel training, pre-trip inspections and on-road proficiency.”
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association has also been vocal about the need for better driver training.
On Oct. 20, OOIDA sent a letter to House and Senate leaders urging them to beef up driver standards. The Association asked for enhancements in five areas, including a new requirement of at least 30 hours of behind-the-wheel training. Amazingly, the current regulations don’t mandate any behind-the-wheel training hours.
“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.”
Bryce Mongeon, OOIDA’s director of legislative affairs, credited Cotton and Barr for taking the lead on this issue.
“With the increased scrutiny on unqualified and poorly trained drivers entering the trucking industry, we thank Senator Cotton and Representative Barr for highlighting how CDL mills have contributed to this safety crisis,” Mongeon said. “We applaud the lawmakers for focusing on the need for a minimum number of behind-the-wheel training hours. OOIDA has been advocating for this improvement to training standards to provide new entrants some minimum level of real-world experience and exposure to new situations. While we encourage U.S. DOT to seriously consider the lawmakers’ request, we also hope that Congress will consider these improvements as they are writing the next highway bill.”
Secure Commercial Driver Licensing Act
Cotton and Barr recently introduced the Secure Commercial Driver Licensing Act in the Senate and the House.
The bill would ensure a CDL applicant’s English proficiency by requiring that tests be conducted only in English. The bill would allow the Department of Transportation secretary to suspend or revoke a state’s authority to issue non-domiciled CDLs if they aren’t compliant with federal standards.
Under the bill, an individual must possess a driver’s license for at least one year before being eligible for a CDL.
The Senate version, S3013, is led by Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark.; Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn.; and Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala. The House bill, HR5767, is sponsored by Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky.
“For everyone’s safety, you must be able to read and understand English road signs when operating a commercial vehicle,” Cotton said in a news release. “Our bill would require commercial drivers to pass the test given in English.” LL
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