Originally published at: Feds target sham CDL trainers in multi-state sting - FreightWaves
DOT is purging over 550 “CDL mills” from the national registry after investigators exposed widespread violations and fraudulent training practices.
As a former Driver Development Specialist for a major carrier, the issue of lax training standards was inextricably tied to cost. Training offered by most schools and colleges offering it is for the purpose of obtaining a CDL, not thorough knowledge and skills development. For that type of training, an advanced training period similar to the Army’s Advanced Individual Training is much needed. I have seen what disregard for thorough training and adequate testing produces. The solution is not cheap, therefore, it has been either tried and abandoned, or completely sidestepped while hoping with crossed fingers that drivers can self-teach through practical experience. The cost in accidents is a very good indicator of how well this model works. True instructors and trainers are not just experienced drivers. These people must be development specialists who understand the scope of their role in training America’s future CDL workforce.
It isnt just the OTR drivers who are a problem either, I spent years as a Safety and Compliance Officer in mass transit, doing hiring, training and compliance. We saw a number of “graduates” of these CDL mills trying to get hired and most couldn’t understand more than the most basic of english words. Fortunately we had language in place in our manuals requiring a good understanding of English, so we didn’t have legal problems.