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4This synthesis provides information for the commercial vehicle safety community to assess current commercial vehi- cle training practices and the quality of their measures of effectiveness. Subsequent to the work plan being approved, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requested that additional work on commercial vehicle operator training be in- cluded as part of the overall project. Therefore, three additional tasks were added to the project: ⢠An expanded inventory of commercial driving training programs in the United States. ⢠A comparison of crash rates for commercial drivers who have received formal driver training and those who have received no formal training. ⢠A closer look at various training programs for non- commercial drivers with comparisons to commercial driver training programs. 1.1 Background Since the late 1980s, FMCSA (formerly FHWA Office of Motor Carriers) has been conducting a program of research on commercial motor vehicle (CMV) driver training tech- nologies. The primary emphasis has been on advanced driv- ing simulators. FMCSA has set out to establish a set of training standards for commercial vehicle operators. Presumably, these standards would include minimum curriculum standards, acceptable training methodologies, and objective measures of training program effectiveness. A non-government group, the Professional Truck Driver Institute (PTDI), currently provides certification to schools training professional truck drivers. Participation in the certi- fication process is voluntary and is focused on over-the-road tractor-trailer driver training. Some states also certify com- mercial vehicle operator training through their education departments. These certifications tend to examine financial management and student management characteristics rather than specific curriculum issues (e.g., content, ratio of practice to instruction, time-in-cab activities). FMCSA has sponsored research projects of driving simula- tors for more than 15 years. That research is directly relevant to this synthesis for two reasons: (1) simulators may provide opportunities for improved training of commercial vehicle operators and (2) they may also provide a technology for measuring the effectiveness of various operator training cur- ricula and techniques. Instructional technology has been the subject of major re- search projects in both the private sector (particularly in uni- versity psychology and education departments) and in various government departments. The Department of Defense (DOD) has funded major instructional technology research and devel- opment (R&D) projects the past 50 years. With state-of-the- art computer technology and the various models of distance learning, soldiers are learning to maintain and operate complex weapons systems, computer technicians are staying abreast of the rapid changes in their professions, and children are expe- riencing in real time the exploration of the Arctic, conversations with peers thousands of miles away, and the observation of a world that until recently could only be read about. The DOD, in particular, has also developed a general ap- proach to curriculum development that is in worldwide use across many disparate disciplines and skill sets. This approach, first developed more than 30 years ago, emphasizes training students to perform the very specific skills needed to accom- plish the tasks they will have to perform on their jobs. This multi-stepped process begins with an identification of tasks to be learned and ends with the measurement of those tasks at the end of training and whenever possible, on the job as well. There is a distinct body of research into how and when training effectiveness should be measured. Unfortunately, the majority of truck and bus operator train- ing has not been included in these research projects and tech- nological interventions. The model for much of commercial vehicle operator training is the stand up instructor and a con- ventional classroom filled with aspiring professional drivers. C H A P T E R 1 Introduction
5However, within the truck and bus operator training world there are companies and schools that are attempting to use the technological tools available to them. CTBSSP Synthesis 1 combined a rigorous survey of the com- mercial truck and bus industries with a literature review. It concluded that âThe level of driving proficiency and knowledge required to earn a commercial drivers license (CDL) is widely regarded in industry as well below the level required to be a safe and reliable driver in a full-time operational setting.â (p.14) In 2004, CTBSSP Synthesis 5, âTraining of Commercial Mo- tor Vehicle Driversâ (Staplin, Lococo, Decina, and Bergoffen 2004) was published, which set the stage for this synthesis. This synthesis summarizes the state of vehicle operator train- ing in the trucking, motorcoach, and transit industries. This synthesis also captures in some detail the experiences of those training programs that are using some combination of simu- lators and CBI. The synthesis identifies current measures of training effectiveness in the commercial vehicle operator school and carrier communities. It also describes training effectiveness measures being used in the military and industry and proposes a training effectiveness measure model for commercial vehicle operator training programs. Reviews and studies of driver training tend to focus on external events (e.g., lectures, simulators, BTW practice) which are presumed to cause desired internal events called learning. Learning then is measured in terms of predetermined external measures (e.g., written tests, on road performance). This em- phasis on training rather than learning leads to assumptions about the homogeneity of student abilities and subjective rather than objective measures of effectiveness on the part of school administrators and instructors. 1.2 Objectives and Scope The objectives of this research are to identify and document commercial vehicle driver training curricula and practices. The focus is on both training and training evaluation, result- ing in a synthesis of best practices, instructional technologies, evaluation techniques, and trends in commercial driver train- ing that will be useful to truck and bus carriers and driver training organizations. The scope of the study includes a comprehensive literature review complemented by a survey of selected truck and bus companies, industry associations, driving schools, and vendors and users of training technologies (e.g., simulators, computer- based training). The information sought in the literature review and survey permitted the research team to identify and exam- ine (1) similarities and differences in training strategies among existing driver training programs, (2) similarities and differ- ences in the curricula applied in selected training programs, (3) the extent to which simulator- and computer-based tech- nologies can be used to enhance the effectiveness of commer- cial driver training programs, and (4) techniques to measure commercial operator training effectiveness. 1.3 Research Approach The research included three tasks: (1) identify the best sources to obtain desired technical literature and survey responses, (2) collect and analyze data on commercial truck and bus driver training research programs, regulations, effectiveness measures, current practices, and trends, and (3) synthesize results and prepare a report on the findings. The literature review covered material on commercial truck and bus driver training research programs, regulations, effec- tiveness measures, current practices, and trends. Journal arti- cles, government research publications and reports, and trade papers were identified and acquired from the following sources: electronic information and abstracting database ser- vices, state and federal department of transportation (DOT) library and information centers, and professional organi- zations (e.g., American Bus Association [ABA], American Asso- ciation of Motor Vehicle Administrators [AAMVA], American Trucking Associations Foundation [ATAF], American Public Transportation Association [APTA], FMCSA) devoted to driver performance issues, commercial driving training, and highway safety. Key starting points for this research were the ongoing major study of commercial driving simulation spon- sored by the FMCSA, TCRP Report 72, âSimulators and Bus Safety: Guidelines for Acquiring and Using Transit Bus Opera- tor Driving Simulators,â the recently completed AAMVA/ FMCSA revision of the CDL tests, PTDI recent findings on CBT uses for commercial driver training, and a recent review on new technologies for driver training (Brock 2006). The research team also attempted to capture information on various training programs for drivers who have obtained their CDLâs and also for drivers who operate commercial vehicles that fall outside of the CDL requirement. Although there are many such training programs, they are not well documented. The electronic index and abstract databases on transporta- tion and highway safety topics that was searched included TRIS online, other transportation and education databases from DIALOG (e.g., Compendex, ERIC, and NTIS), and the Inter- net (using various search engines but especially the Google academic search capability). Search terms included the follow- ing: commercial motor vehicles, commercial driver training, driving simulators, CBT for commercial driving training, and training effectiveness. Also in this task, a list of potential survey contacts and a sur- vey instrument were drafted, reviewed, and augmented by the research team. Candidates were prioritized in a sample that accessed all relevant groups and entities.