FMCSA seeking more streamlined process to obtain CDL
Posted July 2, 2019
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is proposing a rule that would streamline the process for men and women interested in obtaining their commercial driver’s license (CDL).
The proposal would allow individual states greater flexibility to conduct skill tests and reduce testing delays without compromising safety.
Federal rules do not permit a CDL skills instructor who is also authorized by the state to administer the CDL skills test to perform both the instruction and the qualifying testing for the same CDL applicant. FMCSA’s proposal would eliminate that restriction and permit states the discretion to allow qualified third-party skills trainers to also conduct the skills testing for the same individual.
The rule proposal is the latest in FMCSA’s movement toward reducing regulatory hurdles for CDL applicants. In March, FMCSA authored a final rule streamlining the process and reducing costs to upgrade from a Class B to Class A CDL. The agency claims that decision will save driver trainees and motor carriers $18 million annually.
Upon its publication in the Federal Register, the proposal will be upon for public comments for 60 days at regulations.gov, under Document No. FMCSA-2018-0292.
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