LegalReader.com  ·  Legal News, Analysis, & Commentary

News & Politics

Here’s Why Commercial Drivers in Phoenix Require Extensive Training


— April 20, 2022

Training establishes competency with minimum standards related to operation of a commercial vehicle in a safe and effective manner.


Phoenix, AZ – Anyone who wants to drive a large semi truck or other commercial vehicle for a living in the state of Arizona will need various kinds of qualifications. Most important among those qualifications is a commercial driver’s license. However, even after the person receives their CDL from the state, they will still need to be mindful of various safety regulations and follow rules that are specific to the trucking industry to remain safe and avoid accidents. 

Advice from attorneys near me is crucial in achieving the best possible result from any accident involving a commercial vehicle in the Phoenix area. 

The purpose of training for commercial drivers 

Training establishes competency with minimum standards related to operation of a commercial vehicle in a safe and effective manner. The federal government regulates commercial driving through the Department of Transportation, and states can enact more specific commercial vehicle regulations if they choose to do so. An entry level driver will need to take written tests and a road test to comply with requirements for driving vehicles such as semi trucks for their job, or for more specific tasks such as transporting hazardous materials. The license class that the driver is issued corresponds to the specific types of vehicles that they can use. 

Other safety regulations include limitations on the amount of driving hours in each day or week, weight limits on vehicles, and mandatory rest periods for truckers. Despite these training regiments and relevant safety requirements, commercial drivers get into accidents in Arizona and other states regularly. 

Liability for injuries and property damage

Coal truck accident; image by Michael Hodge, via Flickr, CC BY 2.0.
Coal truck accident; image by Michael Hodge, via Flickr, CC BY 2.0.

Either the company that employs the driver or the individual driver can be implicated in a truck accident lawsuit in Phoenix. This can depend on whether the driver is considered a full time employee or an independent contractor. In either case, truck accidents are extremely expensive, and drivers need to have high risk insurance that can potentially cover hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars in damage. These amounts are necessary because large commercial vehicles such as semi trucks and buses tend to cause serious injuries or fatalities to multiple people during a crash. Their combined expenses through lost income and medical treatment can be very large, and the driver or business at fault must pay for them all through their insurance or other means. For these reasons, it is best to have well trained drivers who can avoid accidents while driving long distances. 

Help after a truck accident in Arizona

USAttorneys.com is a web directory that helps people with the process of finding a lawyer to represent them. Those who are looking for legal services can use the site to choose their state and a practice area to get started. 

Join the conversation!