BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 9. An electronic learning management system used in Azerbaijani universities will be implemented in training courses for professional drivers in the near future, Chairman of the Board of Azerbaijan Land Transport Agency Anar Rzayev told Trend.
According to him, a truck driver is responsible for the cargo carried and road safety. He also works with the documents and ensures the safety of the transported cargo. Moreover, there are even higher requirements for drivers who carry out international transportation.
"They should know international documentation, be able to fill out travel forms and check their compliance with the requirements, and, to a certain extent, speak foreign languages. Currently, in international transportation, the driver in fact works as a compiler of documentation, customs clearance, and electronic declaration. He also controls loading and unloading operations," he said.
"In our country, the number of drivers who meet these requirements is limited. The professionalism of drivers is directly related to their training, which in turn makes the importance of secondary special education programs and practices especially relevant," he said.
Rzayev added that the training of professional drivers in Azerbaijan is carried out by the agency's training and education center.
"Training and retraining of drivers are organized both in Baku and in the regions. Training is conducted with the involvement of highly qualified, experienced teaching staff and training specialists based on the curriculum approved by the Cabinet of Ministers. In the near future, the electronic learning management system used in Azerbaijani universities will be implemented in training courses," he said.
The head of the agency also said that during the training, drivers are also taught language skills at a basic level.
"During the training, peculiarities of the organization of international passenger and cargo transportation by road, the current legal norms in this area, the requirements for the operation of vehicles used in international transportation and their performance characteristics, as well as the provision of first aid are also taught," the head of the agency said.
Furthermore, according to him, information on normative legal acts that govern international passenger and cargo transportation by road is provided to drivers at the training, along with guidelines for the acceptance, registration, transportation, and delivery of goods, terms, and conditions for transporting various types of goods.
The head of the agency noted that more than 3,200 drivers have participated in the training up to date.
"In total, it is planned to involve more than 8,000 drivers in training. We believe that this rate is not enough to realize the country's potential in international markets related to transport, so work in this direction will continue in the future," he said.
He noted that the lack of professional drivers is a hindering factor in the development of international cargo transportation by road.
"Our agency will step up its efforts in this regard to training professional drivers in an effort to improve the safety of international transportation and the competitiveness of the industry," Rzayev added.
The number of vehicles involved in international transportation is growing rapidly in Azerbaijan. Two years ago the number of such vehicles was less than 3,000, and in 2022 this figure exceeded 8,000, which in turn significantly increased the need for professional drivers.