Tips About Truck Driver Training

Ralph Garcia, a professional truck driver with more than 2.5 million accident-free miles under his belt, knows a thing or two about driving and safety. And he likes the current Hours-of-Service rules.

Garcia was one of many speakers recently at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) listening session in Dallas-Fort Worth. The FMCSA has held listening sessions around the country as it considers HOS changes requested by special interest groups like Public Citizen and Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.

Garcia spoke of the current HOS rules, how they are working and where some improvement could be made.

“When the current rules took effect, I noticed that I started feeling better,” said Garcia. “I wasn’t as tired.” Garcia is like many truck drivers in his preference to drive at night when the roads are less congested.

Garcia said the rules are good, but there is some room for improvement and flexibility, especially when it comes to sleeper berth provisions. Garcia went on to state that drivers are taking better care of themselves than ever before, because of their sometimes challenging sleep schedules.

“We are more in tune with our body’s time clock than most people. Our safe driving is a testimony to that,” said Garcia. And he would be correct. Just recently the U.S. Department of Transportation released 2008 figures showing that the truck-involved fatality rate decreased 12.3 percent from 2007, the fifth consecutive year the rate has declined.

“The American truck driver continues to keep America rolling,” said Garcia. “We are better trained, better informed, and improving the safety of our industry every year.” Representatives from other trucking companies also spoke at the session and suggested things like:

1. sleep disorder awareness, training and screening
2. promoting the use of Fatigue Risk Management Programs
3. increasing the availability of truck parking on important freight corridors
4. partnering with the trucking and shipping communities to develop an educational process that identifies for drivers the location of available truck parking, are among the ideas the representatives addressed.

While the current HOS rules have proven beneficial there should be more flexibility for the driver to choose his own sleep pattern. It helps keep drivers fresh and more alert, which leads to safer roads and fewer accidents.  





Log book photo courtesy of JJKeller.com