New advisory committee to address commercial driver training

Washington – A newly formed 26-member advisory committee will help to update classroom and behind-the-wheel training requirements for professional truck and bus drivers, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced Feb. 10.

The Entry-Level Driver Training Advisory Committee includes safety advocates, training professionals, law-enforcement officials, labor union representatives, and members of intercity bus and trucking industries. The group’s first meeting is slated for Feb. 26-27 in Arlington, VA.

FMCSA said the committee will examine a variety of issues, including minimum training requirements, accreditation versus certification of commercial driver’s license training programs and schools, and instructor qualifications. FMCSA plans to issue a proposed training rule by fall 2015 and a final rule in 2016.

“Ensuring roadway safety starts with the driver,” FMCSA Acting Administrator T.F. Scott Darling III said in a press release. “Finalizing new training requirements for truck and bus operators is one of my top priorities, and we have tapped a group of uniquely qualified stakeholders to help us work through the details and meet this goal.”