It is vital that drivers receive adequate training in all aspects of commercial driving to ensure that they are safe to be on the roads and highways. This is something the FMCSA takes seriously, and they recently set up the Negotiated Rulemaking Entry-Level Driver Training Advisory Committee to address it. This committee looked at the current requirements and came up with a recommendation of changes to bring the current training up to date.
The committee is made up of members who represent a number of different industries and law enforcement personnel. This group of individuals, once they came together with their vast array of knowledge in the industry, have come up with changes to the current system.
The adjustments that are expected to change include the amount of time a new driver needs to spend behind the wheel of a truck. You might see a change to the accreditations and qualifications they need before they are fully qualified commercial drivers too.
Another aspect the FMCSA is expected to rule on later this year is the decision on the ELD, or Electronic Logging Devices. The hope is for the paper logbooks to be eliminated and this will improve the standard of record keeping, resulting in a higher accuracy. Creating good standards and rules are important for many reasons, not only to ensure accuracy, but to make policing easier.
While AMSA supports support the idea of the ELD, they do worry about the potential of the liability for the data retention aspects of the ELD’s. As with any change, there will be pros and cons which need to weighed.
As these are just some of the highly anticipated changes that are going to take place in the near future, it is important that as a business owner you are fully aware of the changes and note any implications this might have on your business.
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