Trucking news and briefs for Friday, July 28, 2023:
Heartland Express (CCJ Top 250, No. 45) and two of its subsidiaries – Millis Transfer and CFI – are requesting an exemption from the entry-level driver training (ELDT) regulations requiring that a behind-the-wheel (BTW) training instructor have at least two years of experience driving a commercial motor vehicle or two years of experience as a BTW CMV instructor.
Millis conducts training for all three companies and describes its trainer evaluation process as “second to none.”
The companies said the two-year experience requirement “impedes their ability to hire enough trainers to meet the demand.” They added that they believe Millis’ pre-ELDT policy of a one-year minimum experience for its over-the-road (OTR) trainers and its “extensive” safety evaluation of those trainers has allowed it to be a positive contributor to highway safety.
Millis reported an estimated student enrollment of 500 to 700 students for 2023 for all three companies. Its 131 trainers currently spend up to 90 days with a student before letting them drive solo, and because of the shortage of trainers, Millis said it will have to turn some students away.
The proposed exemption would allow MTI to continue its one-year minimum training experience requirement so that it can add another 90 to 150 BTW trainers to its current trainer group. Should the exemption be granted, these additional trainers would be allowed to conduct BTW training without meeting the two-year minimum requirement for BTW instructors.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is seeking public comment on the request, which can be made for the next 30 days at www.regulations.gov by searching Docket No. FMCSA-2023-0081.
