A month after proposing to lift barriers to skills testing, federal regulators want to continue to lighten the load for would-be truck drivers by making it easier to take knowledge tests on the path to receiving a commercial drivers’ license (CDL).
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will soon propose allowing CDL applicants to take general and specialized knowledge tests in a state other than the applicant’s state of residence.
Current regulations require that states issue CDLs only to those operating, or planning to operate, a commercial truck who reside in that state. Congress enacted this so-called “domicile requirement,” also referred to as the “one driver/one license/one record” principle, to prevent drivers from masking traffic violations or other offenses in one state by applying for and receiving a new CDL in another state.
While the proposed rule would not be a requirement, those states that do elect to offer knowledge tests to out-of-state drivers would transmit the results to the state where the applicant actually lives, and the applicant’s state of residence would be required to accept the results.
“Reducing burdens and expenses on CDL applicants has the potential to increase the number of available drivers,” said FMCSA Administrator Ray Martinez in announcing the proposal today (July 24). “With the American economy continuing to grow at a record pace, the need for more commercial drivers is critical. This proposal offers common-sense regulatory changes that will help CDL applicants, without compromising safety.”
According to the proposal, travel time and associated costs for applicants would be reduced for those who choose to receive certain driver training outside the state in which they live but would otherwise have to return to their domicile state for their knowledge testing and the issuance of their commercial learner’s permit (CLP) or CDL.
“To the extent that reducing travel costs associated with out-of-state training increases the number of applicants or applicant access to high-quality training programs, there could be positive impacts on driver safety,” the agency stated, acknowledging it has no data to verify that.
FMCSA said it anticipates the proposal would require states to modify their current CLP and CDL upgrade issuance processes to some extent. For example, the state of domicile would need to establish a process to deliver the physical CLP or CDL to the driver applicant in another state. “It would be up to the state of domicile to determine method(s) of delivery that would allow the applicant to receive the CLP or upgraded CDL,” the agency stated.
The agency said all required knowledge testing is included in the proposal to avoid situations where a driver applicant may take the general knowledge test out of state but have to return to their residential state to take a specialized knowledge test for one or more endorsements.
The recent government proposals attempting to make it easier to obtain a CDL follow from a rule finalized last year allowing states discretion to waive the CLP knowledge skills tests for members of the military.
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Mark k
This makes it easier for trainees with the big companies. Fly/bus someone in and put them through training. Then rather and try and figure out how to test them in their home state, they can test out at the training facility.
Allan Cedar
The more you idiots try to fix anything the more it gets screwed up. You haven’t got a clue what you’re doing .
Dan I
Right on Allan. Stupidity Rules. Make it Harder,Not Easier…We already Have an abundance of Wannabee Clowns?Dan I
RICK B
IF LEGISLATORS INTEND TO STREAMLINE OUR LIVES RATHER THAN COMPLICATE THEM, THEN BY ALL MEANS INCLUDE REAL ESTATE AGENTS IN THIS REFORM. I HAVE HAD REAL ESTATE LICENSES IN 3 STATES: CALIFORNIA, TEXAS AND FLORIDA. THIS IS ABSURD, REDUNDANT AND CONFISCATORY. GIVEN THAT THE MAJORITY OF REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS HAVE SOME FEDERAL OVERLAY OF REGULATIONS, IS THE PRECISE REASON THERE SH B ONE STANDARDIZED TEST FOR A REAL ESTATE LICENSEE. ELIMINATE THESE FIEFDOMS ONE FINDS WITHIN EACH STATE THAT MERELY WANT CONTROL RATHER THAN SIMPLIFICATION OF THE SAME INFORMATION. A REAL ESTATE PRINCIPLES COURSE IN THE SAME ACROSS ALL 50 STATES. FURTHERMORE, MOST BUYERS ARE SELLING/MOVING/BUYING FROM ONE STATE TO ANOTHER. LET’S EVOLVE THA SPECIES.
Robert M Avila
An absolute recipe for unsafe drivers to slip through, unknowledgeable drivers not pre tripping correctly, or ignorance of what small “misses” of equipment status will or could result into a catastrophic problem. Don’t make it easier make it the same or harder. If the applicant can’t manage to pass the current tests he isn’t rquipped to handle the real job.
DON’T DO IT.
John Herberg
Yeah, there is too many operators out there that probably can’t even pass the state exam for doing a pre trip inspection. They should be re screening half the clowns out there now who have CDLs. I’ve been a truck driver for decades now with a flawless record simply by not rushing things and doing my job. Too many operators forget about safety and courtesy as it is! The Super Truckers! We don’t need any more donkey behinds out there!
Robert Benoit
Wow, they keep saying there is a driver shortage. If that’s the case then why are rates continuing to fall and costs skyrocketing. There might be a shortage of local drivers but that’s mostly because of the big companies training and going to automatic transmission. Local companies haven’t fully switched over yet. If you have the restriction, you can’t drive a manual. I’m glad I tested before the company I chose fully changed to automatic which took nearly 3 years to fully transition.
In addition to that, there is too many trucks and not enough loads that pay good. The economy is slowing down thanks to the trade wars with China.
George
Make it easier??♂️ no one wants to drive with he rates like they are.
The experience drivers wouldn’t be quitting if you people start paying for the shit you want to go buy out the store. And who gives them the right to tamper with a biological clock. I’m the driver who doesn’t care about appointment time only my health and well being. The freight can wait like waiting at a dock. Make more parking for us, higher rates, and keep the police from fucking with people who at work and trying to make a living from home.
Ross
It appears that the FMCSA is once again focusing on minimal impact regulations as opposed to confronting real-world concerns of professional drivers. Which government authority is addressing the lack of parking facilities in several parts of the nation? Or, why are there no regulations requiring safe and adequate maneuverability at shippers and receivers whose facilities were not designed for modern size CMVs? I have been to several locations which, backed into their dock, had my blocking street traffic.
Jeff
Oh yea,make it easier for drivers to get cdl. You should be making it harder. With all the idiots on the road including some truckers. Not one of you people in the FMCSA has had a CDL or been in a truck.What gives the right to make laws.I wouldnt pull teeth because im not a qualified dentist.
Jason Boudreau
This is not making the actual testing easier it’s just saying…. “example”: If you went to a Cdl school in Washington you could also go to the Washington DOL and get your license without having to go back to the state you are from say Idaho.
That’s all.
The article should be titled “More convenient solutions for CDL applicants”.
The title is just there to catch the reader.
Paul Marion
Making it easier is a bad idea. There already is an over abundance of CDL drivers that don’t have a clue. This is a slippery slope and I would advise to leave things where they at. There needs to be better training for new drivers is what there needs to be.
Kris Carter
There is people who provide CDL in states that you don’t have to know english and learn permits, but you can get CDL . This state is Florida and could be other states where is easy to pass without knowledge but to cheat exam. These people don’t have any physical home , they just come work for amount of time , live in the truck and going back in their countries of origin. Haw is that? I don’t think rules should be the same for every states. Where you live , there you go for test.
Kris Carter
I mean rules should be the same. This is not a game