Truck safety the most important part in the transportation industry. According to CDL Knowledge, in 2015 there were 415,000 crashes involving large trucks. Of those, 4,050 were fatal incidents and there were a total 87,000 injuries. Most people who died as a result of these large truck crashes were in cars or passenger vehicles. Only 16% of truck occupants died compared the 69% of car occupants. The top three causes of truck accidents in 2015 were; prescription drugs (26%), driving too fast (23%), and over the counter drugs (17%). The impact that truck safety can have is astounding and there are many organizations around the country committed to improving safety and educating drivers. While some may require registration or membership fees, the amount of value safety training could provide greatly outweighs the costs.
Regionally, there are some great training options available. In the East, The Virginia Trucking Association offers safety and compliance training. In the Midwest, the Iowa Motor Truck Association offers webinars at multiple locations through its Council of Safety Management. In the South, the Tennessee Trucking Association offers North American Transportation Management Institute training sessions. On the West coast, the California Highway Patrol offers free training seminars through its Commercial Industry Education Program for commercial drivers, carriers and drivers of passenger vehicles.
There are also national trainings through places like the American Trucking Association. For Owner-Operators, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) offers its “Truck to Success” training. This training has in-depth training on the FMCSA safety audits. While it is made of Owner-Operators, this would also be useful for small fleets.
There is always room for improvement and the continuation of safety training will benefit everyone.
