FMCSA issues exemption for tech training

Wheel End With Brakes

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) this week granted an exemption for technician training. Technicians will now be allowed to skip the federally required year of training or experience needed to conduct commercial vehicle inspections and brake-related repair and maintenance provided they receive training based on the Technology & Maintenance Council's (TMC) Recommended Practices (RPs). 

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"TMC, through its Study Groups and Task Forces, has developed a robust set of Recommended Practices and these RPs form the backbone of the knowledge leadership the Council provides to its members and the industry," says TMC Executive Director Robert Braswell. "This exemption recognizes that TMC's RPs meet the industry standard for technical knowledge and technicians who are trained on them are more than capable of performing essential work." 

The exemption applies to motor carriers, intermodal equipment providers and individuals, allowing them to self-certify they completed a training program based on the TMC RPs. This would "likely achieve a level of safety equivalent to or greater than the level of safety provided by regulatory requirements," FMCSA says. 

TMC has developed more than 500 RPs that outline individual procedures for inspecting, repairing or replacing components on commercial vehicles. 

"We believe that by allowing technicians trained in programs based on TMC's Recommended Practices, the industry can make it easier and more efficient for new technicians to enter the industry," Braswell says. "The industry continues to face a persistent shortage of technicians, so anything we can do to cut red tape and get students and young people onto the shop floor quickly will help address it." 


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