Technology Requires Truck Drivers Keep Pace

Whether they drive a truck for a fleet operation or independently own and operate their own rig, every professional truck driver needs to work at staying current with such technology advances as crash avoidance systems, telematics, and self-driving technology to ensure the safety of everyone on the roads.

“Ensuring that drivers are properly trained is a critical element in improving road safety for everyone. The entry-level training standards for large truck and bus operators put forth today exemplify a commitment to safety from a broad coalition of commercial motor vehicle stakeholders,” said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx about newly established training standards for commercial truck drivers.

What Training Offerings Are There & What is Needed?

We’ll take a look at current and recent training programs instituted to help advance the knowledge and skill of commercial truck drivers, as well as list a few areas that need more awareness and attention for the safety of those on the roads:

• On Dec. 7, 2016, the U.S. Dept. of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) released a new rule regarding comprehensive national minimum training standards for those seeking to obtain a commercial driver’s license (CDL). This rule established several new standards that would address the training of truck drivers, including:
  • Theory and knowledge education training
  • Behind-the-wheel (BTW) instruction (no minimum hours) on driving range and roadways
  • Training must be received from a FMCSA compliant trainer listed in the Training Provider Registry
  • Truckers must demonstrate proficiency of theory and BTW training
• FMCSA’s final rule about training was a response to a Congressional mandate proposed under the “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act”
• Truck drivers and technicians need training to handle the influx of on-board computer systems
• Many truck training organizations are beginning to use YouTube-style learning systems to teach technicians

Who’s Liable for Failure to Train?

The thing to remember when dealing with a commercial motor vehicle that’s involved in a collision case, it’s not treated like a typical car crash. Truck crash cases require a different approach. Commercial trucking companies and independent truckers are heavily regulated by the federal government. They will general carry a much larger insurance policy than your average motorist. For instance, federal motor carriers must maintain a minimum liability insurance policy of $750,000. The FMCSA Regulations lay out the guidelines for proving negligence in truck related-crashes. In order to prove negligence, the following steps should be taken as quickly as possible:

• Preserve and gather evidence:
  • Attorney should file/send preservation letters to defendants and anyone who may have knowledge of evidence
  • Locate and secure truck
  • Locate and secure plaintiff’s vehicle

Contact a Truck Accident Attorney at Chandler McNulty

If you have been involved in a truck-related crash, it is important to have legal advocacy as soon as possible to secure and preserve essential evidence in your case? You won’t find a better legal advocate than our truck accident attorneys at Chandler McNulty LLP. We’ll perform our own independent investigation to gather evidence law enforcement may have missed. We’ll gather the necessary expert testimony from doctors, mechanics, and witnesses, etc.

The sooner we talk to you, the sooner we’ll get to know you and better assess your losses and the value we can try and recover for them. For a free consultation and to learn how we’ll best serve you, call us at (713) 997-8310 or send us an email using the contact form on this page.