Advisory group seeks standardized training and certification for pilot cars

Lincoln, AL — Assisting in the creation of a national pilot car training curriculum, along with certification for pilot and escort vehicles, is the aim of the National Pilot Car Stakeholder Advisory Group.

Pilot cars accompany commercial motor vehicles carrying oversize or overweight loads and help them navigate safely toward their destinations. The advisory group is composed of members of various government agencies, organizations and representatives in the pilot car industry, including from the National Pilot Car Association.

In a press release, NPCA notes that only 13 states require Pilot/Escort Vehicle Operators (P/EVO) certifications, “and the lack of regulations creates a lot of liability.”

The association continues: “A nationally recognized training curriculum would help reduce risk by making sure pilot car operators meet certain requirements, and help mitigate some of the carrier’s responsibility in the case of an accident. Increased regulations would also protect the operator because they would be able to prove that they have been properly trained.”

Other organizations and agencies included in the advisory group are the Federal Highway Administration, the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, and the Specialized Carriers and Rigging Association.

In 2017, FHWA teamed with the SC&RA on a set of best practices for law enforcement and pilot cars, as well as pilot car training and certification, according to the SC&RA website.