The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has decided to lift the restriction on CDL testing standards that requires the knowledge portion of the CDL to be administered with a state examiner present. Now a third-party tester can administer these required tests. This is welcome news for training schools because now, in states that will allow this, drivers may be able to complete the entire CDL process at the same time and in the same location. They will be able to take theory training and then immediately sit for the knowledge test, allowing them to get to range and road training more quickly and ultimately hit the road sooner.
Dan Horvath, VP of safety policy for the American Trucking Association commented, “It makes sense to continue to allow drivers looking to get their CDLs to be able to do so as frictionlessly as possible, while also maintaining the safety standards required of license seekers.” This comes after the License Act introduced last week, which makes permanent the FMCSA waiver allowing third-party CDL skill test examiners previously authorized by the state to administer the CDL knowledge test without completing a CDL knowledge test training course. The Act also allows states to administer a driving skills test to any out-of-state CDL applicant regardless of where the applicant received training. Both provisions in this act were issued seven times in the past two years to help prevent truck driver shortage. Now the waivers will be permanent. Soren is in favor of regulations that help drivers get on the road quickly and safely. We count on carriers every day to move our customers’ freight, and with the many roadblocks the supply chain has experienced over the past couple of years, it’s good to hear of any regulations that make it easier for truck drivers (https://www.freightwaves.com/…/fmcsa-lifts-restrictions…).
