Driving a tractor-trailer is not like driving a car. Tractor-trailers can weight 80,000lbs, be over 70 feet long and 13 feet tall. At 55 mph, it will take a tractor-trailer 419 feet to come to a stop. Driving a tractor-trailer comes with a lot of responsibility as there is a high risk of crashes and rollovers if a driver is distracted, fatigued or not properly trained.
The first step to becoming a truck driver is study the Commercial Driver License (CDL) Manual and to pass a written exam. Each state uses a nearly identical version of the CDL Manual which teaches the drivers the basics of driving a tractor-trailer, the mechanics of how a truck works and how to be a safe and responsible truck driver. The CDL Manual covers many driving scenarios like nighttime driving, highway driving, adjusting for weather conditions, speed maintenance, etc. If a driver follows the CDL Manual, it will greatly reduce the likelihood of a crash.
Despite the importance of the CDL Manual, many defense attorneys and truck companies argue that the CDL Manual is not binding on their drivers. Some have actually argued that the CDL Manual is nothing more than a set of suggestions by a non-governmental agency. However, if we examine the history and purpose of the CDL manual, it is clear that it was designed to improve safety and help keep unsafe truck drivers off of the road.
In 1986, the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act became law and required all states to implement the same commercial driver licensing system. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs), which govern truck drivers and truck companies, requires all states to have a CDL Manual that is comparable to the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrator’s (AAMVA) manual. 49 C.F.R. 383.131. The AAMVA, in cooperation with the Department of Transportation, developed a model manual so that truck drivers from each state possessed the same knowledge and skills. The FMCSRs require the state CDL Manuals to contain the “substance of the knowledge and skills that drivers must have” that is contained in section 383 Subpart G. This “knowledge and skills” section of the FMCSRs mandates that truck driver must have knowledge and skills in 26 general areas including basic control, braking, speed management, vehicle inspections, night operations, fatigue, etc. Finally, the FMCSRs require that the truck driver examinations in each state be based upon the content of the AAMVA model manual.
The model manual provided by AAMVA covers the “knowledge and skills” requirements of section 383 Subpart G and provides the basis for all truck driver licensing tests. In other words, the FMCSR endorsed the substance of the AAMVA model manual because it included all of the areas for safe driving. Thereafter, each state adopted the AAMVA model manual and simply inserted the jurisdiction specific information. As a result, each state’s CDL Manual is nearly identical.
There is no other manual or textbook, other than the CDL Manual, that is universally taught to truck drivers. The CDL Manual provides truck drivers with the basic knowledge they need to safely operate tractor-trailers. While truck drivers still require additional training even after getting their licenses, the basic techniques taught in the CDL Manual form the bedrock of a safe truck driver.
