The American Trucking Association and its Technology and Maintenance Council applauded the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for its exemption to the training time for new technicians.
The ATA said the changes in policy would help alleviate the technician shortage while maintaining high safety and competency standards. Under the new policy, technician will be allowed to skip a federally required one-year of training or experience in order to conduct commercial vehicle inspections and brake-related repair and maintenance, provided they get TMC’s Recommended Practices based training.
“TMC, through its Study Groups and Task Forces, has developed a robust set of Recommended Practices, and these RPs form the backbone of the knowledge leadership the Council provides to its members and the industry,” TMC Executive Director Robert Braswell said. “This exemption recognizes that TMC’s RPs meet the industry standard for technical knowledge, and technicians who are trained on them are more than capable of performing essential work.”
The ATA had asked for the exemption back in 2020. Officials said the exemption applies to motor carriers, intermodal equipment providers and individuals and would allow them to self-certify that they have completed a training program based on the recommended practices. The RP-based training and certification would “likely achieve a level of safety equivalent to or greater than the level of safety provide by the regulatory requirements,” FMCSA said.
The recommended practices are organized into 15 sections that outline procedures for inspecting, repairing and replacing components on commercial vehicles.
“We believe that by allowing technicians trained in programs based on TMC’s Recommended Practices, the industry can make it easier and more efficient for new technicians to enter the industry,” Braswell said. “The industry continues to face a persistent shortage of technicians, so anything we can do to cut red tape and get students and young people onto the shop floor quickly will help address it.”