US Xpress:
• Welcome to the US Xpress Road Test Examiner Program.
• With your dedication and commitment, this program will be
one of the best in the trucking industry.
• This program is an effort of the USX Safety Department to
establish set standards and uniformity to our road test
program.
• Its goal is to present a program that is well organized and
manageable, which fulfills its mission by providing safe
drivers who will contribute to the growth and success of US
Xpress.
• We thank you for your participation in such an important
program!
• As we go through the
road test examiner
training, please open
your road test
examiner manual and
follow along.
Why do we do a road test?
–
FMCSA 391.31(a) states that “a person
shall not drive a commercial motor
vehicle unless he/she has first
successfully completed a road test and
has been issued a certificate of driver’s
road test”.
ROAD TEST
Without First Successfully completing a road test
• FMCSA 391.31(b) states “the
road test shall be given by
the motor carrier or a person
designated by it…the test
shall be given by a person
who is competent to evaluate
and determine whether the
person who takes the test is
capable of operating the
commercial motor vehicle,
and associated equipment,
that the motor carrier intends
to assign him/her”.
• FMCSA 391.31(c) states “the road test
must be of sufficient duration to enable the
person who gives the test to evaluate the
skill of the person who takes the test at
handling the commercial motor vehicle
and associated equipment that the motor
carrier intends to assign him/her”.
•
FMCSA 391.31(c) states that “the driver must be
evaluated on his/her skill at performing each of
the following operations:
1)
The Pre-trip inspection required by part 392.7 of FMCSA.
2)
Coupling and Uncoupling of combination units.
3)
Placing the commercial motor vehicle in operation.
4)
Use of the commercial motor vehicles controls and
emergency equipment.
5)
Operation of the commercial motor vehicle in traffic and
while passing other vehicles.
6)
Turning the commercial motor vehicle.
7)
Braking and slowing the commercial motor vehicle by
means other than braking.
8)
Backing and parking the commercial motor vehicle.
Every Driver Must:
–
Perform a pre-trip
inspection
•
In the back of the road test
manual is a pre-trip
inspection guide to assist
you in evaluating the pretrip.
–
Couple and/or uncouple
the tractor and trailer.
–
Demonstrate their ability
to back…by actually
backing the trailer.
1.
Orientation Road Test:
–
Orientation Road Tests can be conducted at any of our 10 Orientation
Sites.
–
You can only take two drivers out per trip. You can expect the road test
to take approximately 1-hour.
–
You will be evaluating both experienced and student drivers. *note – In
evaluating student drivers, you are primarily evaluating to see if they are
safe enough to go out with a trainer. They will have to take another road
test after completing their training to move into a 1st seat driving position.
2.
Upgrade Road Tests:
–
Upgrade Road Tests are conducted at Tunnel Hill GA, Oklahoma City
OK, Medway OH, and Colton CA.
–
Upgrade Road Tests are conducted to evaluate a student who has
completed his/her training to determine if they are ready to move into a
1st seat position.
• US Xpress has pre-designated routes at each USX
facility for both the upgrade road tests and the
orientation road tests,.
• In the back of your road test examiner manual you will
find the Orientation road test route for each USX facility.
For all Upgrade Road Tests check with the Upgrade
Specialist at that facility.
• You must follow the road test route that corresponds to:
– The type of road test you are conducting (Upgrade or
Orientation)
– The facility where the road test is being conducted.
•
Based on your observations of the drivers ability to
safely operate the commercial motor vehicle - a driver
can basically fail the road test under four different
formats:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Major Safety Violations
A combination of “less then desirable driving habits” over the
course of the road test.
Inability to perform the tasks identified by FMCSA 391.31(c).
Driver has a preventable accident during the course of the road
test.
Pass
Fail
•
Major Safety Violations:
–
Violations that create serious safety hazards such
as, running a red light, pulling out in front of oncoming traffic, forcing a motorist off the road, or
any other violations that constitute a serious
safety issue.
–
If a driver commits a “Major Safety Violation” you
must have the driver pull over at the 1st available
safe area, and discontinue the road test with that
driver. You can have the other driver begin
his/her test at that point or you take control of the
vehicle.
• Over the course of a
road test a driver may
exhibit one or more
“less than desirable
driving habits. If one
or more of these
behaviors causes you
to believe that the
driver is unsafe, the
driver should fail the
road test.
•
If a driver fails or is unable to demonstrate an
acceptable skill level on each of the tasks
identified in FMCSA 391.31(c), the driver must
failed on the road test.
•
Demonstrating a lack of knowledge in performing a proper
pre-trip inspection, coupling and/or uncoupling procedures,
placing the vehicle into operation, use of the vehicles controls
and emergency equipment, operating the vehicle in traffic
while passing other vehicles, making proper right and left
turns, proper braking/slowing of the vehicle, and proper
backing ability.
• If a driver has a
“preventable”
accident during the
course of the road
test it does
constitute a failure
of the road test,
and you must notify
the Claims/Safety
Department.
•
When evaluating the driver’s backing ability you must:
– Be standing outside the vehicle in a position wherein you can safely oversee the
backing operation.
• DO NOT stand where the driver can not see you or might accidentally hit you, or where
the truck or trailer might lurch toward you.
– Check to ensure that the driver walks around the trailer to check for people or
objects before attempting to back up. If he doesn’t educate him!
– You must also be in a position where the driver can clearly see, and hear your
instructions.
– The driver MUST back between two trailers, unless there are not two trailers
available to back between. In this instance the driver must back beside another
trailer.
– If you must stop a driver to keep them from backing into a trailer, then the driver
would fail the road test. DO NOT ALLOW THE DRIVER TO BACK INTO
ANOTHER TRAILER.
– If for any reason you are unable to stop the driver, and they do back into another
trailer or tractor it results in a failure of the road test, and you MUST notify
Safety/Claims regardless of whether damage occurred or not.
– Again students evaluated on an Orientation Road Test are not evaluated to the
same standard as a 1st seat driver. You are primarily concerned as to whether or
not the student is safe enough to go out with a trainer.
Qualifications:
– Must have 30 days recent
service with USX, and 1 year
recent OTR experience (within
the previous 12 months) as a
first-seat driver.
– May not be on any type of
company probation.
– Can have no major preventable
accidents or incidents in prior
six months.
– Must have the ability to get
along with people and
communicate effectively.
– Must present an acceptable
appearance.
– Must be certified as a Road
Test Examiner by a U.S. Xpress
Safety, Training, or Orientation
Official.
Standards:
•
Failing to maintain the standards of
the Road Test Examiner Program can
result in probation or disqualification
from the program. Some examples of
these violations are, but not limited to:
– Accidents or Incidents.
– Safety Violations.
– Failure to follow program
guidelines.
– Non compliance with company
policies/procedures.
– Failure to remain active in the
program (going 60 days without
performing a road test)
– Refusing to perform a road test
(when hours and load
assignment permit performance
of road tests)
– Failing to log line 4 when
conducting road tests.
– The truck not being clean and
presentable.
•
As a road test examiner you are expected to conduct
yourself in a professional manner at all times
•
Some examples of inappropriate conduct are:
•
–
Yelling at a driver. This is never acceptable, or
permissible.
–
Smoking or allowing anyone being tested to smoke in
the truck during the course of the road test. Remember
– not all drivers smoke; therefore, smoking in the truck,
with a non-smoker who is being tested, does set up an
uncomfortable road test situation.
–
You should never intentionally create or establish a
situation to make any driver “nervous” over the course
of the road test.
Although it is recommended and sometimes
necessary to explain non-familiar equipment to a
driver, such as the auto-shift transmission –
remember you are there to evaluate the driver’s
ability to safely operate the truck, not train or teach
the driver.
• Road Test Examiner Compensation:
– $10 per Orientation Road Test.
– $15 per Upgrade Road Test.
– $500 bonus after performing one hundred road tests within each
calendar year; each Orientation Road Test after the bonus is
paid at $15 each until the calendar year is completed.
– Note Local drivers are not eligible for this compensation
package due to being paid and hourly wage.
Reviewing the process:
1.
Introduce yourself to the driver.
2.
Validate that the driver has a class A-CDL and valid medical card on their
person.
3.
Review the road test procedures and directions for the specific terminal
location, and discuss any question or concerns that you or they may have
about the upcoming road test.
4.
Provide a brief explanation of the transmission configurations that USX
Tractors are equipped with, if needed.
5.
Buckle your seatbelt and do not allow the truck to be moved until the
driver is seat belted in. Also, ensure that the 2nd driver is safely
positioned, on the bunk, behind the passenger’s seat.
6.
Follow the road test procedures and directions for the specific USX facility
where the road test is being conducted.
7.
Ensure that you utilize a good 3-point of contact when entering and exiting
the truck, and require that the driver being tested do the same.
8.
After completing the road test you MUST follow up with Orientation or the
Training Department to complete all required paperwork.
• Welcome to the USX
Road Test Examiner
Program!
• Your commitment to this
program helps us to
ensure that we fulfill our
mission of hiring quality
drivers at US Xpress, and
for that we are very
grateful – Thank You!