Employer-arranged transportation of workers in farm labor vehicles, a common practice in California and elsewhere, is subject to both state and federal regulation. At present in California, however, there is a weak link in the system - a shortage of certified instructors to provide the state-mandated training of the drivers of those vehicles.
The California Vehicle Code requires operators of farm labor vehicles, when transporting one or more farm worker passengers, to have in their possession a certificate issued by the California Department of Education permitting the operation of such vehicles. Applicants for the vehicle operator's certificate must present evidence that they have successfully completed the driver training course developed by the Department of Education. The certificate is granted after the driver has also passed a DMV/CHP examination and paid a $12 fee. As of July 1, 1997, there were approximately 1,900 active holders of "DL-45" certificates to drive a farm labor vehicle in California, according to John Rooney, Department of Motor Vehicles spokeman in Sacramento.
Instructors who give the courses to train drivers of farm labor vehicles are also required to be certified, and currently their numbers are low, especially in the Central Valley. There are only 44 such driver instructors who were certified and active in California. Of those, 33 lived in Monterey, 6 in Ventura, 2 in Imperial, 2 in Kern, and 1 in San Diego County.
To become certified as an instructor, it is necessary to take a training course given by the state. Courses are conducted seven times a year at the California Highway Patrol Academy in West Sacramento. To be accepted in a course, an applicant must be sponsored by his or her principal employer (or be an independent contractor) and have 3 years of experience operating farm labor vehicles with a class B commercial driver's license.
The 3-week, 120-hour course for instructors lasts a minimum of 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, and includes several night sessions. It covers 44 subject areas, with emphasis on the fundamentals of classroom and behind-the-wheel teaching techniques. Participants spend about half of the time in the classroom and half on the road. Room (double occupancy) and board (weekdays only), training materials, and instruction are provided. Transportation to and from the training facility is the responsibility of the applicant or employer. Application forms for "Bus and Farm Labor Vehicle Instructors" can be obtained from the California Department of Education, School of Transportation, P.O. Box 944272, Sacramento, CA 94244-2720. For more information, telephone 916/322-4879.
Among the rules pertaining to farm worker transportation, the California Vehicle Code defines a "farm labor vehicle" as any motor vehicle designed, used, or maintained for the transportation of nine or more farm workers, in addition to the driver, to or from a place of employment or employment-related activities. Every farm labor vehicle must be inspected annually by the CHP. For farm labor vehicle inspection sites and times, call your local CHP "School Pupil Safety Officer" at: 916/225-2715, Redding; 916/464-2090, Rancho Cordova; 707/648-4180, Vallejo; 209/445-6922, Fresno; 805/549-3261, San Luis Obispo; 909/383-4811, San Bernardino; 213/664-1108, Los Angeles; or 619/637-7158, San Diego. For additional information on applicable federal and state rules, also see Labor Management Laws in California Agriculture, publication 21404, by Howard Rosenberg et al. (for details on ordering, contact Steve Sutter, UCCE, Fresno, at 209/456-7560, or Communication Services-Publications, UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, 6701 San Pablo Ave., Oakland, CA 94608-1239-phone 510/642-2431 or, in California, 800/994-8849).