Over the past few years, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has been taking steps to remove regulations surrounding CDL training. As part of that initiative, the FMCSA has announced a new proposed rule which would allow out-of-state CDL applicants to take their tests where they train.
On July 24th, the FMCSA announced the proposed rule. If enacted, it would allow truck driver trainees to take their exams in any state rather than requiring that they take it in the state where they live.
This would override the rule known as the “domicile requirement” which was enacted by Congress. It was meant in part to make sure each driver could only get one CDL, to centralize driver records, and prevent drivers with poor driving records from simply obtaining a new CDL in a different state when their list of infractions got too long.
According to the FMCSA, the aim is to “reduce burdens and costs for commercial driver’s license (CDL) applicants by allowing applicants to take general and specialized knowledge tests in a state other than the applicant’s state of residence.”
But just last month, the FMCSA proposed a rule which would allow CDL schools to test the same students that they trained. The FMCSA said the proposal would “alleviate CDL skill testing delays and reduce inconvenience” by theoretically allowing a student to be trained, tested, and possibly hired all in the same place. That proposal was criticized as a handout to CDL mills, trainers looking for a bribe, and large carriers – all at the expense of safety.
This most recent proposed rule is likely meant as a companion to the previous proposal since many CDL schools bring people in from out of state. When taken together the two proposed rules seem tailor-made for large carriers who run their own CDL schools.
“Reducing burdens and expenses on CDL applicants has the potential to increase the number of available drivers,” said FMCSA Administrator Ray Martinez in a press release. “With the American economy continuing to grow at record pace, the need for more commercial drivers is critical. This proposal offers commonsense regulatory changes that will help CDL applicants, without compromising safety.”
Source: fmcsa, fmcsa, truckinginfo, fleetowner, overdrive, freightwaves, ttnews, truckersreport
Ronnie says
CDL should be a federal issued not a state so if you are a nomad you don’t need to change it to another state if you like to be hired by a computational doesn’t hire from the state you have your CDL from.
Donavon DeGraff says
Sonds good as long as the trainer tester is liable for an accident for 1 year. That would make sure they train correctly and provide reasonable accountability for the schools
ROBERT says
That’s why I’m against this. I’d have an examiners license if I wanted to test them.
Robert Martin Beasley says
Amen on that
Jay Pressley says
Streamlining laws for CDL mills while complaining about driver safety issues.
Makes perfect sense if you don’t think about it.
Jaar says
Now illegal aliens can be truck drivers.
Kevin says
Hate to break the news, they already have em in the oil field trucking industry..making over 100k a year. No BS…I know a few and it pisses me off to no end.
Steve R says
If you know about illegals driving then turn them in.
Bruce Brown says
They already are.
Fozzy says
Why even have CDLs? Most drivers don’t think they should abide by any of the regulations..just stop the games and let anyone drive these trucks.. its that way anymore.. no standards, no ethics, why kid ourselves anymore?
allen gaetke says
I totally agree. Why do we need a cdl? does it make people safer? Or just more money out of your pocket. I mean we would hold people accountable for there actions 90 percent of government licensing schemes would go away. but we the people don’t do that. Always making some sorta excuse.
Rawdog says
Do yourself a favor and looking up the agricultural exemption for trucks ! I live in northern Maine a huge potato growing area, and all they have to do is register their bulk potato trucks as “farm use” and boom they have no requirements to have a class b license for a straight truck, even though with tri axle trucks and seasonal “boosters” they can weigh up to I think 78,000 pounds (I could be wrong but I know it’s at least in the 70,000 range., anyway there’s no license requirements other than they have a license to drive a car! These things are severely over loaded and the drivers are under skilled, every few years there’s another bad accident but no one does anything because farmers have such big lobbying power! They only have to operate within 100 miles of the farm !
Azzitude says
And this is why I retired early, still hold my CDL but probably would never get on the roads again.
With all these so called drivers you’re not even safe parked and sleeping without “Drivers” backing into your rig
Beverly says
My husband’s truck was hit while he was getting unloaded in Florida 2 days ago by a driver who could barely speak English (he was Somalian) and had only received his CDL on March 27th of this year! And there was absolutely no excuse for it. The driver went to pull out & leave and didn’t pull out wide enough to miss my husband’s Kenworth! My hubby was not in his truck at the time as he was getting loaded and was over chatting with some other drivers when he heard the loud sound of the hit, turned around and saw that idiot had taken out his front bumper, damaged a mirror and cracked the whole front molding on his 2018 Kenworth!
anonymous says
was it illhan omar’s husband/brother?
William Santiago says
I have been a driver for over 15 years. And I have seen it slowly change. Nowadays, most of the young punks out there wear flip-flops and shorts, and can’t even speak English. And now the government wants to make it easier for them to continue driving on our roads. I don’t know. 5 more years and I’m done
James says
There is never a good article in my email from this Truckers Report site. This industry is doom n gloom.
Stephen P Smith says
So . . . To Hell with Safety, Anything we can do to fill these empty driver seats!!! Way to go FMCSA!!! Another government agency designed to protect us bites the dust!
I have been a Licensed CDL Instructor for over 6 years now with experience training for testing with least 8 states. For the most part the rules are similar, but trust me, they’re also very different. Every student out there will quickly learn the easy state to go test with and Bam, just like that, no more testing in the other, more difficult states. If you don’t KNOW there are differences, than you didn’t do your “Due Diligence” before you even suggested such an absurdity. Not to mention the fact that you have examiners who care and examiners who don’t, examiners who look for reasons to fail someone and examiners who look for reasons to pass someone, and don’t even get me started on third party testing sites that will not pass someone on they’re first attempt because they make more money failing them and making them test again!!
Wow, this just blows my mind.
Roger Koch says
I think it is inherently risky to allow these companies that do training to also do the testing. There is a clear conflict of interest testing needs to be done I an outside party not associated with the training people
James Beckes says
Probably already are😂
Shamus P. Cella says
THE NUT JOBS ARE RUNNING THE ASYLUM !!!! These beurecratic MORONS are making a bad system WORSE. I firmly believe these so called CDL schools are shady operations to begin with, the powers that be are green lighting inappropriate, under trained individuals to obtain a license that should be held to a higher standard. If and when this rule goes into effect…..good drivers need to up their life insurance policies !!!
Harold Bass says
I totally agree
Gregory O'Neil says
I really liking idea that trainer/school is liable for actions of driver, but not just for 1 year, but 3 years… This will limit amt of trainers, and put schools on alert… I believe that the CDL test is to be taken in state they reside… Why break the very parts of system that actually does some good.
sonny Pruitt says
They’re about to govern every truck on the road at 65 MPH. Keeping that quiet though.
William Santiago says
How do you know that? Show me your proof.
Tlm says
Wtf ? This is not a new rule. Where do they come up with this crap
ROBERT says
Wow is this a contradicting article. What will the FMCSA / Martinez say next. Does he even remember to keep track of what he even says. How about stop making changes. Don’t fix what ain’t broken. There are plenty of good schools doing just fine making good drivers. Big carriers want everything. Keep the skills testing with the state examiners to be sure drivers are qualified. I don’t want that responsibility on the instructor. Let the licensed examiner do the whole test. The lunatics are in the halls ( of government ).
anonymous says
please do away with the “sleep apnea” testing. this is a big time scam against drivers. they are confusing sleep apnea with narcolepsy if they think we are falling asleep while driving.
SMH says
Yes!!! My husband always got that stupid “sleep apnea” thing on his DOT med exam ‘cos of his neck measurement (he played football in HS and had a large neck).
Anyhoo–in order to get his Medical Card he had to do the whole Sleep Study thing (where you go to a clinic overnight & they monitor your sleep)..wound up on a cpap machine. Luckily I had really good insurance & it covered almost all of it.
Can you say “cash cow”?
Anthony says
Bad Idea! If we drivers are under Federal regulation then it should be issued by the Fed Dot. Not State! Just like Airline pilots they are given licenses that comes from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). We are no different. We carry frieght for hire, they carry people and frieght. This would stop corruption, the driving test would be done by Federal Motor Carrier Examiner (FMCE). Also if any shop that conducts brakes, tires, any suspension work, for combination of vehicles that shop and driver is responsible for sending a certificate of completion to the company with in 24 hour of repairs committed.
CDL Conrad says
Been doing this since 1983. Went from chauffeur licenses, to CDL licensing. The big argument was drivers having licenses from multiple states.
If the point of the CDL was to end the practice, then the CDL should be issued by the Federal Government.
Since the FMCSA monitors and is supposed to regulate CMVs and drivers, then they should be the governing power for issuing licenses, and testing drivers, regardless of where they (the driver) does their schooling.
That would make one body that encompasses the professional driving world and avoids a lot of b.s. But all the testing has to be done at the government facility to avoid corruption as best as possible. There will still be those who try to game the system and in the end they will lose as will the others on the roadways they share the road with. Sadly that is the reality as nothing is foolproof.
Driving a fuel tanker is my line of work now, and I have seen civilians and truck drivers do stupid things in front and around me.
Those red placards with the flame on them don’t mean squat to a road rager who thinks you were rude to them for not moving over or braking to let them in when either is impossible due to traffic and weight since I drive a 9 axle heavy haul rig, and at close to 130k pounds, you don’t stop too quickly, or just move over in second or two.
So having a training facility for the driver to learn, and the government do all the testing, unassociated from each other completely would be the only way for it to work. And that would mean there would be no allowance for family to work at both places simultaneously with heavy consequences for those who try to violate that ruling.
But heck it’s just my 2 cents.
TheBigFoot says
I know. Its totally ridiculous. So unprofessional, disrespectful and makes the industry look really bad. As if a professional commercial driver dies nothing all day. As far as Im concerned, if ur in slippers, or shower shoes, Ur not working. Ur not even suppose to drive with slippers due to the hazzard. I was told yrs ago it was illegal. But in the last 10yrs Ive seen plenty of it. I dont even understand why warehouses allow these “wheel holders” to enter their property let alone the warehouse wearing slippers or house shoes. One thing goes wrong and they can be held liable. Smh..