Europe Proposes Training for All Truck Drivers

LONDON — A proposal before the European Union would prohibit anyone from getting behind the wheel of a tractor-trailer in Europe without first completing a minimum amount of training.

The proposal, adopted Feb. 5 by the Transport and Energy Commission, would require anyone age 18 through 21 to perform 420 hours of initial training before driving a truck.

New truckers older than 21 would have to take 210 hours of training, and professional drivers would have to pull over for 35 hours of refresher classes every five years.

The European Council for Transport and Telecommunications is scheduled to meet April 4-5 to discuss the proposal. If approved by the council and the European Parliament, the rules would go into effect Jan. 1, 2004.

For the full story, see the Feb. 12 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.

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