Research

Administrative History

During World War II, limiting truck and bus use was a crucial part of home front efforts to conserve resources, such as fuel, rubber, and metal, needed for the war effort. These efforts tried to balance conservation with the recognition of the integral role that trucks and buses played in the nation's economy. The Office of War Training implemented a program aimed at educating drivers through trucking company managers.

The United States Office of Education awarded a grant to the New York State Education Department to provide one-week training sessions to "essential transport operators" in cities around the state. The program was primarily for managers who, after training, would develop training programs within their organizations to encourage driver safety and efficient driving habits. Courses given included Driver Selection and Training, Preventive Maintenance, Safety, Conservation of Equipment, Customer and Public Relations, Developing Better Employer and Employee Relations, and Teacher Training.