Driving a Truck for the First Time?

Earlier this month, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) submitted a final rule to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval, implementing minimum training standards for entry-level commercial truck and bus operators seeking a commercial driver’s license (CDL).

The OMB can take up to 90 days to approve the rule, and once the decision is made, the rule will go into effect three years after its publication in the Federal Register.

The core curriculum is broken down into two categories – class time and actual driving time. The rule stipulates that FMCSA will develop the curriculum for new drivers.

The basics of class time involve instruction on the operation of the vehicles, including instruments and controls; how to perform pre-and post-trip inspections; how to operate at night, and hours of service.

The driving component requires at least 30 hours of behind-the-wheel training, with 10 hours driving on a range, 10 hours driving on public roads or 10 trips on public roads, no less than 50 minutes each.

The rule also proposed that minimum qualifications related to instructors, testing, training vehicles and curriculum specifics would be used to establish a registry of approved trainers.