The National Pilot Car Association (NPCA) is participating in a National Pilot Car Stakeholder Advisory Group, along with the Specialized Carriers and Rigging Associatio, the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA). The goal of the advisory group is to help create a national pilot car training curriculum and facilitate ongoing discussions about certification.
“Collaboration between carriers and pilot cars has grown and the coming together of these industries has improved dramatically in the last 10 years because everyone agrees that we can all benefit by working together,” said Michael Morgan, Legislative Vice President of the NPCA.
Currently, only 13 states require P/EVO Certifications and the lack of regulations creates a lot of liability. A nationally recognized training curriculum would help reduce risk by making sure pilot car operators meet certain requirements, and help mitigate some of the carrier’s responsibility in the case of an accident. Increased regulations would also protect the operator because they would be able to prove that they have been properly trained.
In the meantime, the FHWA has a Pilot/Escort Vehicle Operators Best Practices document that provides a comprehensive guide for pre-planning, including route review, and pilot vehicle and equipment preparation. It also covers how to handle challenges like railroad crossings, emergency procedures, and post-trip evaluations.
Morgan was recently interviewed for the June issue of Crane Hot Line on the importance of regulations for pilot car operators. Read the full article here.