Inconsistencies Said To Be Hobgoblins of CDL Testing
Possible changes to the CDL were high on the list as the Driver Training and Development Alliance held its International Forum at the first of March.
Inconsistencies in testing from state to state are a major source of complaints, the trucking executives and driver training school representatives of the alliance found.
“The CDL tests are not efficient,” said John McFann, project director for North American Van Lines in Fort Wayne, Ind. “In the worst cases, major variations exist not just between states, but also at the local and district levels.
The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators is also looking into the adequacy of CDL testing. “The current tests we’re using were devised in 1989, so it’s probably time to take a look at them,” said Brett Robinson, director of driver services for AAMVA.
The Federal Highway Administration released a study last year that recommended raising the minimum federal standards for CDL testing because most state exams were more stringent.
The study also found that 40% of the motor carriers polled thought CDL testing was not tough enough.
Regulations that would put into effect 50 of the study’s suggestions are in the works, said Bob Redmond, chief of the driver division of FHWA’s Motor Carrier and Highway Safety business unit.
Despite the perceived inadequacies in testing, some in the industry think younger drivers should be able to get CDLs.
A system of “graduated” licenses would allow drivers younger than 21, the minimum age to drive a truck in interstate commerce, to operate under restrictions, such as with fewer driving hours or only during daytime. New Jersey and Nevada now issue CDLs to 18-year-olds.
One theory holds that many young people have found careers other than trucking by the time they turn 21, so a younger “beginner’s” age could help address the driver shortage.
For the full story, see the March 15 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.
