So-Called CDL Mills Churn Out Test-Passers, Not Safe Drivers

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Groups involved with training truck drivers are lashing out against so-called CDL mills — schools that quickly teach students how to pass a commercial driver license test rather than providing the in-depth knowledge needed to operate safely on the road.

The groups say some of these schools turn out drivers in as little as two days, and that in order to find a solution to the problem, a long-delayed rulemaking should be released by federal regulators.

These schools “often use older equipment that is no longer the industry standard to train drivers,” said Kim Richardson, president of the Truck Training Schools Association of Ontario. “In addition, CDL mills often have no formal approach to training students, and instructors that lack teaching skills. The graduates have the same commercial driver license as those students that take the time to seek quality training, but they are not qualified to safely operate a truck.”

The problem is widespread, said Michael O’Connell, who heads the Commercial Vehicle Training Association.

“From what we’ve heard, in a particular city there might be five schools, but only two or three have the appropriate length to teach someone for a driving position,” he said. “Some of them are mom-and-pop operations and some of them are very large organizations that just aren’t doing the job.”

O’Connell said no precise numbers exist on the subject, but he estimates that 100 out of the 300 driver training programs in the country could be described as CDL mills.

The shortage of drivers in the industry makes the problem worse. According to a U.S. Bureau of Labor report, the number of drivers in trucking is expected to grow from 2,897,000 in 1994 to 3,196,000 in 2005. But the robust economy has put a strain on companies trying to find qualified people to hire.

For the full story, see the March 15 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.