FMCSA Grants ATA/TMC Technician Training Exemption

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) on January 16 granted American Trucking Associations (ATA) and its Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) a five-year exemption that will cut the time new technicians need to spend preparing to enter the workforce while maintaining high standards for safety and competency.

Under the new policy, which ATA requested in 2020, technicians will be allowed to shorten to 540 hours the federally required one-year of training or experience needed to conduct commercial vehicle inspections and brake-related repair and maintenance, provided they received training based on TMC’s Recommended Practices.

“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,” said 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 that they have completed a training program based on TMC’s RPs. This RP-based training and certification, rather than the currently required year of additional training or work experience, “would likely achieve a level of safety equivalent to or greater than the level of safety provided by the regulatory requirements,” FMCSA said.

TMC has developed more than 500 RPs organized into 15 sections that outline individual procedures for inspecting, repairing or replacing components on commercial vehicles. These RPs are available in a document titled TMC’s Recommended Practices Manual.

“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 said. “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.” 

Training materials for the exemption, including our Preventive Maintenance Inspection Manual series and new RP Certification Testing App are now available. For details, see https://www.atabusinesssolutions.com/Shopping/?Category=Technology%20&%20Maintenance

For full details on the Exemption notice, see https://tmc.trucking.org/sites/default/files/FMCSA_EXEMPTION_GRANTED_TO_TMC_ATA_INSPECTION_QUAL.pdf