Bill Would Allow Veterans Easier Access to CDLs
A bill passed by Congress last month would open up more job opportunities for military veterans by allowing them to obtain commercial driver licenses in the states where they are stationed, even if they are away from home, the bill’s supporters said.
The Military Commercial Driver’s License Act of 2012 would carve out an exemption to regulations that currently require a CDL applicant to take the necessary tests and obtain the license in his home state. Members of the military frequently are stationed at bases outside of their home states, said Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-Ind.), who sponsored the measure.
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President Obama had not signed the bill as of this week. The White House did not respond to a request for comment and did not indicate whether Obama would sign it.
“This legislation aids our veterans in finding work after their military service by cutting red tape and streamlining the CDL process,” Bucshon said in statement Friday after the House passed the bill through the unanimous consent procedure, in which a bill passes as long as no member objects to it.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requires CDL applicants to be legal residents of the states where they apply, which Bucshon said is a barrier to military applicants.
In addition to allowing military members to apply in the states where they serve, the Military CDL act allows the Department of Defense to work with states to issue CDLs itself. That provision is meant to take advantage of the training that some members of the military receive to drive heavy vehicles.
The bill received widespread praise from the trucking industry.
“Trucking already faces the beginnings of a driver shortage, and with increases in freight demand, as well as demographic changes, we will soon see demand for drivers increase rapidly,” American Trucking Associations President Bill Graves said in a statement urging Obama to sign the bill. “Making it easier for veterans to move into these jobs is a good thing for the military, for the veterans themselves and for our industry.”
“If there is a way to help returning military personnel use their training as they transition into new roles, then we certainly want to make sure to remove any obstacles to moving forward in a trucking career,” Todd Spencer, executive vice president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, said in a statement.
