“To train or not to train, that is the question…”

It’s been a while since I have posted here, so much has gone on and I’ve been on new adventures with work. Now I’m in the Safety, Compliance and Training department in our yard in Montreal, QC. I love it, and it is something I am super passionate about; safety, and training new truck drivers.

Proper training is a huge topic within the transportation industry, and something I take very seriously. I believe that every new driver, whether it be for small vehicles (cars, SUV’s, pickups, motorcycles, scooters, etc) or for big trucks, they should be properly trained to handle the vehicle safely. The bigger and heavier the vehicle, the longer and intensive the training should be, and the more it should be regulated. A big conversation was sparked on my facebook page recently on an article I posted from CTV News/W5 Investigation (which is where the above picture came from) in regards to this topic, specifically about truck drivers, which led me to blogging about it now.

You would be surprised how many truck driver training schools there are out there, some offering 100 hours or 6 months of training (a mix of in class theory and in the truck training), and some of them….well, let’s just say you’re better off getting your license from the bottom of a cracker jack box. At least that way you won’t pick up any ‘bad driving habits’, just maybe a cavity or two.

Seriously tho, getting a really good education in trucking from a reputable school can make a world of difference. Yes it can be expensive and intensive, but there is a very good reason for that. To take a 16hr driver training course over the period of a weekend would be like a person studying to be a doctor in one weekend. They would maybe learn how to do a basic physical exam on a patient, but what if there were slight complications, the ‘doctor’ wouldn’t know how to fully help the client. It’s the same in driving a truck.

There are so many things you need to know before you should even be going out on the road; like how to hook up a truck and trailer and do a proper full pretrip inspection of both (you would be surprised at how small schools don’t teach this); knowing your logbooks and hours of service (what are the rules/laws on how to operate according to the MOT/DOT regulations); how to do your paperwork for customs, enter your load info, empty calls, find a broker; the proper permits needed for which provinces/states; how to backup properly, efficiently, and from different angles (including blindside backups); trip planning (how long will it take to complete the trip, how to locate your shipper/consignee, where will you sleep at the end of your shift, where to fuel, shower, possible extra time spent at the border, accounting for unforeseen obstacles/accidents/construction); what to do if you have a breakdown (flat tire(s), truck stalls, a glad hand breaks off, brakes are frozen to the trailer wheel drums so can’t move it), etc. I could go on, and on, and on….

As well, there are many things to pay attention to while driving; like watching your own truck and trailer(s) (the tires, the dashboard gauges, is there smoke, is the truck suddenly driving rough, losing air, etc); the road and street signs and following the correct routes, no truck signs, construction areas, looking for wildlife and pedestrians. Also, distracted drivers (texting, tweeting, talking on the phone or with their passengers, reading, looking at a paper map, rolling joints, doing their makeup, or doing other things that should be done in the comfort of their own bedrooms, I’m really not joking on that one!). You have to be able to read the traffic. This is an important reason as to why us truckers should be looking in our mirrors every 4-7 seconds, along with constantly looking beside us, and forward, close and far. It’s to be alert and aware to be able to respond quickly and safely when needed to – to avoid accidents. Hopefully.

Inexperienced truck drivers don’t have the knowledge or skills yet to see ahead of them tho, or to even accurately read the situation around them constantly, and at all times. I’m not talking about just a physical distance far ahead of them, but also who’s coming up from behind, or up beside them, and at what speed, are they distracted, weaving, are the roads wet/icy, etc. Truck drivers have to be able to see far ahead for the possible obstacles and problems that could arise from what, and who, is around them. We have to remember that big trucks when fully loaded can be anywhere from 80,000 to 130,000 pounds total vehicle weight, depending on how many trailers and how many axles are on the trailer(s). Imagine the stopping distance needed, and how long it would take for a vehicle that size and weight, with the momentum, going at a speed of 100kms/hr to come to a complete stop. It’s at least 2 football fields long, probably more, and that’s in good road conditions. Most training happens in the nicer seasons, what about winter driving? That’s a whole other ball game!!

Another problem with today’s drivers, now I’m talking about the small vehicle drivers, is that they don’t know how to drive around big trucks. Many don’t know how to drive well either and should also have more training. People are way less patient nowadays, they end up recklessly swerving thru traffic, changing from lane to lane, and cutting off right in front of big trucks. That’s a very dangerous game that I see more people doing everyday. Trucks can’t stop on a dime, like as if we were in a small vehicle. And if they cut a big truck off and then put its brakes on, or even worse do a “brake check” right in front of us on purpose (yes people actually do this and think it’s funny, to get back at us for being slow or ‘in their way’). In those situations, big trucks won’t have time to stop. The truck will be slamming into the vehicle or into other vehicles around the them causing a huge mess. Unfortunately, often it is the truck drivers that get blamed for the accidents, unless the trucker happened to have a dash cam recording to show the truth, and the “brake checkers” get identified and charged.

In my opinion, this isn’t just an issue with lack of training for truck drivers, it’s an issue of training for small vehicle drivers as well, along with the lack of patience, a lot of selfishness, road rage, and distracted driving from everyone. I’ve been in the trucking industry for decades now, the learning never stops. We need to step up our game, be more responsible for our actions, and for educating and training ourselves. People need to stop being so freaking selfish. Be kind and give someone a hand, share with them something you learnt that they might not know, let them in the lane in front of you, move over out of the way if a vehicle is broke down on the side of the highway. And if you get an opportunity for some training, go for it!!