Truck Accidents as a Result of Truck Driver Training
Virginia, Washington, D.C., & Maryland
Commercial drivers must go through rigorous training to obtain their basic commercial driver’s license (CDL). After that, many drivers are supposed to go through specialized training before operating some types and sizes of vehicles and haul some types of cargo. It is the obligation of trucking companies to hire properly trained drivers and put only qualified drivers in vehicles.
What a Driver Must Know
Operating a semi tractor trailer truck is complicated. It requires knowledge and practice to properly maneuver a tractor-trailer, but drivers have many responsibilities beyond simply maneuvering a truck, and failure to properly perform any of these responsibilities may increase the risk of a truck accident. So truck driver training is not limited to driving, but also includes other important responsibilities. Truck driver training should teach:
- Control and maneuvering of vehicles
- Accident avoidance
- How to recognize and respond to hazards
- How to properly distribute a load
- How to properly secure a load
- How to park properly
- How to couple and uncouple the tractor and trailer
- How to inspect a vehicle
- How to interact with and maneuver in traffic
All of these skills should be known to a driver before earning a basic CDL.
Advanced Training
A basic CDL only allows you to drive certain vehicles. It does allow you to drive some types of tractor-trailers, but some vehicles require further training to operate. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires additional training to obtain a license, called an endorsement, for:
- Driving trucks with double or triple trailers
- Driving tanker trucks
- Hauling hazardous materials
Before receiving these endorsements, drivers must undergo further training and pass rigorous written and driving tests.
Company Responsibility
A trucking company has a legal responsibility to only hire drivers with a valid CDL. They must also use drivers only in the capacity for which they are trained and licensed. The trucking company is required to keep extensive records about the training and licensing of their drivers.
At Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C., we have the experience to investigate your accident and determine if inadequate driver training may have been a contributing factor. If you or a loved one has been injured in a tractor-trailer accident in Virginia, Washington, D.C. or Maryland, please schedule a free consultation with our truck accident attorneys today.
