Driver training exemption should be denied, OOIDA says

When it comes to improving highway safety, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association said there is no substitute for an experienced and qualified trainer.

That’s why OOIDA opposed a truck driving school’s request to exempt its instructors from a regulation that requires them to have at least two years of experience driving a commercial motor vehicle.

In May, South Carolina-based SBL Driving Academy asked the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to exempt two of its employees from the theory and behind-the-wheel instructor qualification requirements in the entry-level driver training regulations.

On June 24, OOIDA formally opposed the request and urged FMCSA to deny the exemption.

“CDL experience is essential in providing comprehensive training to entry-level drivers,” OOIDA wrote. “We feel there is no substitute for an experienced behind-the-wheel trainer and employing these instructors will help achieve the objectives of the entry-level driver training rulemaking.”

FMCSA’s entry-level driver training regulations went into effect in February. The rule included qualification requirements for instructors.

For years, OOIDA pushed for entry-level driver training requirements.

“In our opinion, the best way to promote safety is to improve driver training requirements,” OOIDA wrote. “Currently, too many new drivers enter the industry without the basic skills to safely operate a CMV. While the (entry-level driver training) rulemaking that went into effect earlier this year is far from sufficient, the regulation does establish minimum qualifications for training instructors. If these standards are maintained and enforced, highway safety will undoubtedly improve.”

In its application for exemption, SBL said that it has two employees who do not have the two years of required driving experience. The driving school said the employees meet the qualifications under current state regulations and the federal regulations in effect before February’s implementation of the entry-level driver training rule. In addition, SBL said both instructors have Class A CDLs with tanker endorsements and are medically qualified. LL