U.S. Senators Cynthia Lummis (WY-R) and Mark Kelly of Arizona introduced a bipartisan bill Wednesday to help address supply chain shortages and increase the number of truck drivers transporting goods in the country. Their bill, the Licensing Individual Commercial Exam-takers Now Safely and Efficiently Act, would streamline burdensome licensing regulations by making permanent several waivers that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration implemented in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic last November.
The bill would allow state and third-party examiners previously authorized to administer the commercial driver’s license skills test to also administer the CDL knowledge test without having to complete the training course. This will help get additional drivers on the road faster without compromising safety. It would also allow licensed drivers who are accompanying commercial learner’s permit holders to move from the front seat of a truck cab to its sleeper berth. In many cases, CLP holders have already passed their road tests and are simply waiting to receive the physical copy of their commercial driver’s license, and this change would recognize that.
Finally, the bill would allow states to administer driving skills tests to applicants from other states. This will streamline the credentialing process and allow future truckers to get tested where they live rather than only where they received their training. The American Trucking Associations endorsed the bill, stating the LICENSE Act is a sensible remedy to the unnecessary regulatory barriers that make the CDL training and testing process so arduous.
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Last modified: February 3, 2022