Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/409540
COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2014 19 in emphasizing manual training in his school. All of which seems to prove Demi- truk's point: Bias against AMTs still exists. Fleets, which desperately need drivers, are turning qualified candi- dates away because they can't drive a manual-equipped truck. Meanwhile, FCMSA policy clearly states that the ability to operate a manual transmis- sion is not a requirement to obtain a CDL. The basic question here seems sim- ple. If you're running a fleet, which is more important: Your desire (or need) to run manual transmissions, or your need for drivers? Taking a larger view, as an industry struggling to attract talent, perhaps highlighting the fact that Class E endorsements are a viable option for potential students can be a make-or- break move that encourages inexperi- enced drivers to take a leap and earn their CDLs. But that's only going to happen if this industry steps up and offers viable jobs to new drivers with "automatic only" endorse- ments on their CDLs. I was attending Western Star's launch of its eye-catching 5700XE aerody- namic truck in Las Vegas in September when an offhand remark by Ann Demitruk, the company's director of marketing, caught my attention. Demitruk said that with automated manual transmissions rapidly gain- ing market share in Class 8 applications, it seemed to her that fleets and driv- ing schools should use AMTs as a marketing tool to help attract new drivers to the industry. This struck me as a sensible and viable suggestion. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's website, it is perfectly legal and accept- able to train, test and receive a commercial driver's license without learning how to operate a heavy-duty manual transmission. The agency gives such drivers an "E" endorsement code on their CDLs to indicate they are restricted to AMTs only. But the thinking at the moment – both on the fleet and driver school sides of the equation – seems to be that all drivers should know how to operate a manual transmission. I called David Johnson, president and chief instructor at my driv- ing school, Premier Driving Academy in Theodore, Ala., to get his thoughts on this idea. As a graduate of the school, I was surprised to hear Johnson tell me he still believes in training students on manuals because, in his opinion, it gives them a better overall feel for the vehicle. He also thinks it is vital for drivers to under- stand the mechanics and physics of up- and down-shifting.Finally, as a point of pride, he wants to graduate fully trained drivers capable of operating any truck on the road today and – just as importantly from the students' perspective – able to go after and get any driving job they want. At the same time, however, Johnson admitted that AMTs can be a make-or-break factor for some students who don't test well. In limited cases – about one in five students, he estimates – he'll let a student who is trained and proficient on a manual but also nervous about using one with an examiner sitting in the passenger seat take the CDL driving exam with an automatic transmission. Johnson mentioned a fleet customer of his school that recently had dropped two competitive driving schools from its "acceptable" list be- cause those schools were sending Class E drivers to them – but the fleet doesn't run any automatics. So, Johnson said, he had a vested interest PRODUCT REVIEWS, OEM & SUPPLIER NEWS, AND EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT TRENDS BY JACK ROBERTS JACK ROBERTS is Executive Editor of Commercial Carrier Journal. E-mail jroberts@ccjmagazine.com or call (205) 248-1358. AMTS GAIN MARKET SHARE: Fleets and driving schools could use this fact as a marketing tool. OLD-SCHOOL THINKING: Many believe drivers need to know how to operate a manual transmission. A LARGER VIEW: Class E endorsements could be promoted as a viable option for potential students. A driver shortage fix? Automated manual transmissions could help inexperienced drivers