
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, June 22, 1993                   TAG: 9306220130
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Wire report
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Short

FEDERAL TRUCK-DRIVER TESTING PROPOSED

The Federal Highway Administration said Monday that it is considering a rule that would establish testing requirements for entry-level commercial truck drivers.

The agency said it would weigh the need for a "national standard" to measure the level and effectiveness of training programs for newcomers. If the highway administration determines that a national benchmark is needed, it would be required by law to justify its decision to Congress.

The agency said it was unable to assess the costs of implementing such a system, but it said mandatory requirements "could have a significant economic effect" on many small companies that might not be able to absorb the additional expense.

There are driver training schools across the United States, while the Professional Truck Driver Institute of America - created by the trucking industry in 1986 - is considered by many to be a model program.

But just 10,000 students graduated from the institute in 1992, according to figures from the American Trucking Associations, the industry trade group. A study by the Hudson Institute, an Indianapolis-based think tank, estimated that 500,000 new truck drivers will enter the market each year between 1989 and 2000. Of those, 360,000 will be required to obtain commercial driver's licenses, meaning they would qualify to operate vehicles with a gross weight of 26,000 pounds or more.

In its notice, the highway administration said that because the commercial driver's licenses sets standards for licensing and not training, it doesn't mandate the comprehensive training program.

by CNB