Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/772176
12 commercial carrier journal | january 2017 JOURNAL NEWS FMCSA sets training standards, curriculum for new truck drivers N ew training standards for entry- level truck operators have been finalized by the U.S. Department of Transportation and will become requirements on Feb. 7, 2020. The rule officially becomes law Feb. 6, 2017, providing a three-year grace period for carriers, trainers and others to prepare for the compliance date. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Dec. 8 published the new rule establishing the training standards, which encompass both a core classroom curriculum and behind-the- wheel training. The rule also establishes a registry of FMCSA-approved trainers that entry- level truckers must use to receive their training. The rule establishes separate standards for Class A and Class B com- mercial driver's license trainees, as well as requirements for endorsements such as hazmat and passenger. The rule has received industry-wide support from safety advocacy groups to major trucking lobbyists such as the American Trucking Associations and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association. The rule applies only to applicants who have not received their CDL by Feb. 7, 2020. As a key departure from the agency's March-issued proposed rule, FMCSA nixed the requirement that truckers undergo 30 hours of behind-the-wheel training before being eligible to receive their CDL. The rule still requires behind-the-wheel range training and public road training, but it does not require a minimum number of hours. Likewise, the agency does not require a minimum amount of classroom time. Required curricula items for a Class A CDL include basic vehicle operation, vehicle control systems and dashboard instruments, pre- and post-trip inspec- tions, backing and docking, coupling and uncoupling, distracted driving, use of signals and other vehicle communi- cation, emergency situations, roadside inspections, truck maintenance, han- dling cargo, hours of service, wellness, post-crash procedures, trip planning and more. The classroom element and the driv- ing elements must be administered by an FMCSA-approved provider from the Training Provider Registry established by the rule. States' licensing agencies must certify CDL applicants have com- pleted proper training before allowing them to take the skills test required to receive a CDL. The agency outlines procedures in the rule for trainers to apply and be approved for the registry. Carriers that offer their own in-house training still can do so, but they must go through the same procedure as training schools and other entities. FMCSA estimates the total cost of the rule to the trucking industry will total $3.67 billion by 2029, equating to about $366 million annually from the 2020 compliance date. The agency estimates those costs will be offset partially by a $2.389 billion benefit to the industry through more efficient truck operation, fewer crashes and lower maintenance and repair costs. – James Jaillet FMCSA will require entry-level CDL-seeking drivers to be taught a core curriculum and to receive behind-the-wheel training. Mexican carriers allowed to lease in U.S. A restriction barring Mexico- domiciled carriers from leasing commercial vehicles to U.S. carriers to haul freight into the United States out- side of commercial zones on the border has been lifted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The restriction had been set with the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999, which established FMCSA, and was to be kept in place until certain obliga- tions of the North American Free Trade Agreement had been met. To meet these obligations, FMCSA con- ducted the U.S.-Mexico Cross Border Long-Haul Trucking Pilot Program from 2011 through 2014 to determine the safety of Mexican motor carriers. Although the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General determined the program had too few Mexican carrier partici- pants, FMCSA in January 2015 began accepting applications from Mexico- based haulers for operating authority, meeting the NAFTA obligations and lifting the restriction. FMCSA says Mexican-domiciled carriers now are allowed to lease equipment to U.S. motor carriers, regardless of where the freight is going, as long as the equipment is up to FMCSA regulations. In such cases, the U.S. carrier assumes "complete responsibility for the operation of the equipment," FMCSA says. – Matt Cole Leased Mexican equipment must comply with FMCSA regulations, and the U.S. carrier assumes responsibility for its operation.