i n d u s t r y

Associations Condemn ‘Free Training’ Advertising

Some trucking companies advertise free training to lure new drivers — but several associations say the tactic is misleading. The Commercial Vehicle Training Assn., the Assn. of Publicly Funded Truck Driving Schools and the Professional Truck Driver Institute of America have collectively called on companies to end the practice of advertising “free training” when prospective students are obliged to pay the company back later.
     “There is a very simple definition to the word ‘free,’” says CVTA Chairman R. Wade Murphree. “The Merriam Webster College Dictionary, 10th edition, defines ‘free’ as ‘having no obligations (as to work) or commitments; not costing anything.’ The practice of some companies that advertise ‘free’ commercial driver training, and then require a student to pay for part of the training or stay with the motor carrier for a period of time after the training, is unethical and constitutes false advertising.”
     CVTA’s executive director, Mike O’Connell, says ads running in publications targeted at entry-level drivers promote free training. “I have examples of these ads, and they all very specifically say ‘free,’” he says, “with no qualification, no fine print.” Driver hopefuls who respond to the ads are invited to attend a session at a local motel, where they are given a sales pitch on how much they can make working for the company after their training is completed.
     “Then they end up signing a contract where if you don’t stay with the company for a year, sometimes two, you have to pay back the cost of the training to the company,” O’Connell says — which can range from $1,500 to $5,000. “Drivers start out thinking it’s going to be okay, then they realize how much time they’re spending away from home and move to regional or local jobs.” But then they’re thousands of dollars in debt, often with interest to pay and collection fees, as well. To make matters worse, he says, the companies often won’t confirm that the driver attended their school until the amount has been paid, making it extremely difficult to get another job. “It’s basically indentured servitude.”
     O’Connell says the groups wanted to take a stand against the practice because it’s becoming more common — and it’s not just small fly-by-night organizations. “We’ve identified six or seven larger carriers,” he says. “They’re well-recognized names. It seems to be the predominant way these carriers recruit.”
     All three organizations encourage their members to report such advertising to the office of the attorney general in the state where the advertising appears.
     “We seriously question the ethics of companies that resort to fraud in order to hire drivers,” said APFTDS President Don Hess. “We are calling on the trucking industry and organizations that train drivers to voluntarily refrain from these practices because they are untrue and indefensible.”
     —Deborah Lockridge, Senior Editor