The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) on Thursday granted an exemption that will slash the amount of time new maintenance technicians need to spend preparing to enter the workforce.
The waiver, requested in 2020 by the American Trucking Associations and ATA’s Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC), allows technicians to skip the federally required one-year of training or experience needed to conduct commercial vehicle inspections and brake-related repair and maintenance as long as they have received training based on TMC’s Recommended Practices.
“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,” said TMC Executive Director Robert Braswell. “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 exemption, granted through Jan. 16, 2030, applies to motor carriers, intermodal equipment providers and individuals, and allows them to self-certify that they have completed a training program based on TMC’s RPs. This RP-based training and certification, rather than the currently required year of additional training or work experience, “would likely achieve a level of safety equivalent to or greater than the level of safety provided by the regulatory requirements,” FMCSA said in its decision.
Braswell noted that TMC or ATA membership is not required, adding "if a fleet or a school follows the TMC RPs/materials as stated in the exemption, the individual student gets the benefit of the shorter duration (540 hours)... TMC just supplies the materials so-to-speak from which fleets, schools, etc., can base a training program. You don’t have to apply for the exemption, you just need to complete a course of study that qualifies under the 5-year exemption notice."
TMC also has new RP Certification testing, which just rolled out its first two modules, that can work into it as well, Braswell said.
TMC has developed more than 500 RPs organized into 15 sections that outline individual procedures for inspecting, repairing or replacing components on commercial vehicles.
Braswell added he believes allowing technicians trained in programs based on TMC’s Recommended Practices makes it "easier and more efficient" for new technicians to enter the industry. "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," he said.
