Federal decision on CDL testing in Florida

Florida's request aimed to alter the standard process of CDL skills testing, which was denied by the FMCSA

Federal regulators have made a significant decision regarding the request from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to be exempted from federal regulations concerning commercial truck driver license (CDL) skills testing. In the notice scheduled for publication in the Federal Register on Thursday, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has denied this request.

Florida’s request aimed to alter the standard process of CDL skills testing, which currently requires examinees to complete the three parts of the test in a specific order: pre-trip inspection, basic vehicle control skills, and on-road driving skills. According to these regulations, if an applicant fails one part of the test, they cannot proceed to the next and must return another day to complete all three parts again.

However, Florida sought to allow applicants to continue with subsequent segments of the skills test if they failed the pre-trip inspection or basic vehicle control skills segments. They could then return on a later date to retake only the failed segments. This was intended to reduce delays and inconvenience for applicants and address capacity and resource issues associated with repeating full tests.

The Importance of Safety and Flexibility in CDL Skills Testing

Florida’s petition was supported by the Commercial Vehicle Training Association (CVTA), an entity representing truck driver training schools. The CVTA argued that additional delays caused by rescheduling and retesting have negatively impacted the industry, particularly in terms of the availability of qualified truck drivers. They noted that these delays have led to job losses and resulted in millions of dollars in lost wages for aspiring drivers, as well as a reduction in state income tax revenues.

The decision of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to deny Florida’s request underscores the priority given to safety in transportation, even in the face of efficiency pressures. Acting Deputy Administrator Sue Lawless stated that adhering to the required order in CDL skills testing is essential for the safety of applicants, examiners, and other drivers on public roads. Lawless also emphasized that existing regulations already provide some flexibility by allowing applicants to skip parts of the test they have previously passed.

Lawless also stated that the implementation of federal entry-level driver training standards should result in a decrease in the number of applicants who fail certain parts of the CDL skills test at state driver’s license agencies.