Farm Boys Seeking CDL, DO SO NOW. CDL minimum training standards to take effect in 2020.

I enjoy the stories & history. Don't get me wrong.
Especially the ones where X1 had to out drive the Tyrannosaurus Rex trying to steal his frozen goodies on what later became I-40 (Thank you, Mr. Eisenhower) thru the Smokey Mountains.

 

Well there's "training" and then there's "lets force you to spend 5,000 dollars to learn how to back a truck up and do a pre-trip inspection no matter what your background is".
Just seems like more bureaucratic BS to me. Also seems like the whole emphasis on the pre-trip is set up to make the driver responsible for truck maintenance when they have little say over whether or not the company actually will fix the issues in reality.

IMO if you can pass the test I don't see what the problem is. Making the test harder would be more effective than requiring school...tht's not profitable though and it doesn't force people struggling for a job to sign a contract.

 

I went to the school of hard knocks training. I grew up on a farm. Driving farm trucks when I was a kid. But things are different now I guess.

 

A good driver should never drive a truck that’s not road worthy. A good pretrip and a refusal to drive until fixed, will force companies to make it right.

Right after they’ve paid that class action case against them. For terminating drivers who refused to move the truck

 

If you do not do a pre trip, even on your 4 wheeler it is on you, You the one sitting behind the wheel of that machine that might not make it to where you going. Sure is much more easy when going into them inspection bays knowing everything is in order. But then there is those place that can find something because a friend works the mobile mechanics trucks.

 

Companies "lay off" drivers who do that sort of thing all the time. I've seen it happen at my company multiple times over the years. Maybe not OTR but it happens at local companies for sure. If you're not willing to drive a truck that's been loaded with a minor issue 10 miles up the road to meet a hard deadline, you are likely going to have a target on your back for a while.
I think if companies were ticketed instead of the driver, you'd see a lot less violations.

 

I have seen many companies work those that will not bend the rules a bit, if you do not your loads become real bad, your miles drop and they just wait until they starve you out so they do not have to pay the unemployment game. Notice most of these regulations are for the ones driving and not the companies.