Legislation recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would help address supply chain shortages and increase the number of truck drivers transporting goods.
The Licensing Individual Commercial Exam-takers Now Safely and Efficiently Act would streamline licensing regulations for commercial driver’s licenses (CDL). State and third-party examiners who have maintained a valid CDL test examiner certification and previously completed a CDL skills test examiner training course would be permitted to administer the CDL knowledge test without completing a CDL knowledge test training course.
It also would remove the requirement that CDL holders accompanying commercial learner’s permit holders be seated in the front seat. They would now be permitted to be anywhere in the cab.
States would be permitted to administer driving skills tests to applicants from other states.
The bill would make permanent waivers the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration implemented in November as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The bill has the support of the American Trucking Association, the Intermodal Carriers Conference, National Tank Truck Carriers, and the Truckload Carriers Association.
U.S. Reps. Troy Balderson (R-OH), Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Josh Harder (D-CA) and
Darin LaHood (R-IL) introduced the bill. U.S. Sens. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) introduced a companion bill in the Senate.