inexperienced truck drivers Tag Archives

Published on: March 8, 2022

FMCSA’s New Commercial Truck Driver Training Rule Goes into Effect

Trucking accidents almost always result in serious injuries. Driver error can play a major role in commercial trucking accidents in and around the Atlanta region. A new federal administration’s rule that applies to entry level truck driver training standards went into effect in the month of February. It’s intended effect is to help curb the number of errors made by truck drivers

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s new rule applies to entry level drivers who want to make a profession as a truck driver. The rule is called the Entry Level Driver Training rule, and went into effect on February 7. The rule sets the basic minimum baseline requirements for entry level truck driver training programs.

The new rule will apply to any entry level drivers who want to obtain a class A or class B commercial driver’s license, drivers who wish to upgrade their current license from a B to an A level, or wish to obtain bus and hazardous materials endorsements. The rule requires that entry level drivers who want to operate commercial trucks professionally go through the training providers that are listed on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s website. This listing of providers went online recently. Once a driver selects a provider from the listing, he must undergo the training program before he appears for the CDL skills test. If the driver is applying for an endorsement for hazardous materials for the first time, he needs to undergo the knowledge test.

Published on: October 26, 2009

Poorly Trained Truck Drivers Subject of Report

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

TV Report Focuses on Poorly Trained Truck Drivers

Last week, respected journalist Dan Rather presented a report on the poor quality of truck drivers emerging from the several CDL mills around the country on his weekly HD Net program.

The episode underscored what Georgia trucking accident lawyers have known for years – that the quality of truck drivers is a major contributing factor to accidents. Trucking companies often use questionable hiring practices. While a company is required to hire drivers only after checking his records, and verifying his training and skills, we know that doesn’t always happen.

Published on: April 10, 2009

Risk of Truck Accidents by Medically Unfit Drivers

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Thousands of motorists continue to be at risk from truck accidents caused by truckers who are just too sick to drive. That terrifying fact comes to us via a report by a television station which claims that tens of thousands of truck drivers continue to be able to drive, despite suffering from a variety of ailments that should actually keep them away from the wheel.

Under trucking laws, drivers are expected to be able to produce a copy of their medical certificate that certifies that the driver is medically fit to be behind the wheel of a large commercial truck. However, far too many drivers are getting by with phony medical certificates. The process of obtaining a fake medical certificate is so easy it’s almost a joke. Blank certificates are available from the government website, and all a far-from-fit driver has to do is download a blank copy which he can then fill out himself, and sign. Verification methods are notoriously hard with the result that these drivers manage to smoothly and easily slip through the cracks. An investigation last year revealed that out of every three medical certificates produced at truck inspection stops, one could not be verified.

It’s not just the kind of deceit going on that should alarm Atlanta truck accident lawyers, but also the scale. According to a federal report last year, there are more than 560,000 truck drivers who are also currently receiving full medical-disability payments. That means there are 560,000 truck drivers with a valid commercial driver’s license who are not in any condition to be driving a large vehicle.