As children, most of us think of truck drivers as nice people who will blow the horn when we make the ‘universal arm signal’ from a passing car. Could there be a better introduction to the supply chain than that?
But driving a truck is serious business. In the hands of a well-trained professional, large trucks move goods, supply communities, and fuel the economy. Without the proper training and qualifications, however, that truck can quickly become a source of danger.
When is a CDL Required?
A commercial driver's license (CDL) is required for drivers who want to operate a vehicle weighing more than 26,000 pounds, cross state lines, and get paid for doing so.
To pass a CDL test, each operator must:
Be able to conduct a vehicle safety inspection
Demonstrate basic operating skills
Show that they can handle the truck in real traffic conditions, and
Prove that they are healthy enough to get behind the wheel
As a FreightWaves article explained, “Undertrained drivers struggle with hours of service management, backing in tight urban docks, winter driving, trip time estimation, map reading, and defensive driving in mixed traffic. [...] Weak standards allow paper drivers to emerge from fraudulent schools with documentation that looks legitimate but is not backed by competence.”
The concept of a “paper driver” is an interesting one. Operating a large truck isn’t something you can learn to do while reading a book. Ensuring each driver has enough experience and practice is a matter of public safety.
Who decides when drivers are ready?
Although the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), part of the Department of Transportation, sets minimal Federal guidelines, the states and Washington D.C. are responsible for issuing CDLs and assessing driver qualifications. Applicants must master at least 80 percent of the required materials to pass.
In addition to ensuring appropriate qualifications are met, states are also responsible for making sure the driver hasn’t been disqualified in another state and that they don’t have a license from more than one jurisdiction.
Because CDLs are administered at the state level, national statistics are hard to find, but several estimates I found suggest that drivers are 50/50 on the first try with the skills test.
Good drivers are always in demand, but not everyone agrees that we are currently facing a shortage of qualified drivers.
Rob Carpenter, writing for FreightWaves, denies that there is a driver shortage. He makes the case that there is more of a retention problem, with many LTL carriers seeing 90 percent turnover rates. He also says that there are too many trucks, yet another way to look at the problem.
Whether there is a shortage or a retention issue, some companies can’t find or keep drivers. And if you can’t operate without drivers, you might be willing to do some unscrupulous things to stay in business, jeopardizing everyone’s safety in the process.
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