Federal truck safety officials said they plan to revise regulations in an effort to help veterans and military personnel more easily become civilian truck drivers.
The move by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is aimed at helping veterans obtain their commercial driver licenses and find work while also meeting civilian employers’ demands for qualified and experienced drivers.
Military personnel who operate heavy vehicles often are qualified to operate similar vehicles as civilians, but they still have to obtain CDLs. Many, however, can’t afford to provide their own trucks to take the skills test, according to a study released Nov. 8 by FMCSA.
CDL applicants must pass a knowledge test and skills test. The on-road skills evaluation includes a pre-trip inspection and tests basic control and driving skills.
Current law allows states to waive the skills test for military personnel who operated a similar vehicle for two years with a safe driving record. But the military member must apply for the waiver within 90 days of leaving their branch of service, which “can be overly restrictive as military personnel consider future career choices,” according to the study, which Congress requested last year.
The FMCSA study recommends extending the waiver period to one year.
The changes “would not adversely impact safety but would allow returning U.S. military personnel possessing extensive training and experience operating trucks, buses and other heavy equipment to more easily and conveniently receive a state-issued CDL,” the agency said in a news release.
“The demand for truck drivers will continue to rise in the coming years, so we are taking action to remove the obstacles that prevent military veterans from finding employment in the industry," FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro said in a statement.
