It’s no secret that the mechanic shortage is as prevalent as the driver shortage, and the fleet that manages to retain its service technicians — and keep them content and productive for the long term — has a huge financial advantage.

The rule prohibiting truck driving schools from skill-testing their own students has been reversed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, American Trucking Associations said Tuesday.

The word out of the Truckload Carriers Association annual meeting last week is that freight capacity is already beginning to look pinched, even as the number of people applying for driver jobs is falling sharply.

Federal regulators will hold a listening session next month to gather input on their efforts to require training for entry-level commercial drivers.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration asked its advisory committee Monday to help it work through various issues it has encountered in crafting minimum training requirements for entry-level commercial drivers, including classroom and on-the-road instruction.

This is in reference to a story headlined “Design Transportation Offers Higher Driver Pay, Bonuses,” which appeared in the Oct. 22 issue on p. 11.

President Obama signed a bill on Oct. 19 that makes it easier for military veterans to obtain commercial driver licenses.

Design Transportation Services, Dallas, has become the latest carrier to make a wide-ranging increase in driver pay as a step toward retaining and rewarding operators.

LAS VEGAS — While experts have pointed at the government’s new safety program as a major contributor to the growing truck driver shortage, two executives who spoke here during American Trucking Associations’ annual meeting said other lower-profile measures are also playing roles.

LAS VEGAS — Trucking fleets must accept some blame for the current driver shortage and be willing to adjust their operations in order to attract younger talent, two truckload executives said last week.