Despite the efforts of many government agencies, problems with the shortage of professional truck drivers still exist. Therefore, the FMCSA, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, is proposing a number of changes aimed at “increasing flexibility” for State Driver Licensing Agencies (SDLAs) and certain facilitations for people applying for a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL).
According to the proposed Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), the changes to the regulations are to be as follows:
Applicants taking the truck driving skills test will be able to take this test in a state other than their state of residence.
Holders of a Commercial Learners Permit (CLP) who have passed the truck driving test will be able to independently drive a commercial vehicle on public roads. Until now, they must be accompanied by authorized CDL holders during each trip.
FMCSA also proposes to remove the requirement for an applicant to wait at least 14 days for the CDL driving test after the initial issuance of the temporary CLP truck driving permit.
The introduction of the proposed changes may have both positive and negative consequences. On the one hand, they may contribute to a greater number of new commercial drivers, i.e. to an improvement in the labor market situation. On the other hand, there is a risk that simplifying procedures may lead to lower road safety standards.
All interested parties will have 60 days to submit comments on the proposed changes from the moment they are published in the Federal Register. To obtain more detailed information and read the full text of the NPRM (Notice of Proposed Rulemaking), please visit the official FMCSA website (www.fmcsa.dot.gov).
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