WASHINGTON — CDL applicants in Florida may have a faster road to getting a license if testers in the state get an exemption from federal regulators.
Specifically, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) is petitioning the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to allow skills testers — at their discretion — to continue testing a person applying for a CDL who fails the pre-trip inspection or basic vehicle controls segments of the CDL skills test to come back later to retake only the failed segment.
Currently, federal regulations require the three-part CDL skills test — pre-trip inspection, basic vehicle control skills and on-road skills — to be administered and completed in that order. If an applicant fails one part of the test, he or she is not allowed to start the next part of the test but instead must return on a different day to retake all three parts.
In Florida, nearly all CDL skills tests are conducted by third-party testers, FMCSA noted.
“[FLHSMV] cites that the most failed segment of the test is the pre-trip inspection, and if the exemption is granted, the tester could continue to test basic vehicle control skills and on-road skills,” if the tester failed the pre-trip inspection portion, FMCSA stated in an exemption notice posted on Monday. “If the CDL applicant passed these other portions of the test, they could return at a later date and retake just the pre-trip inspection portion of the test.”
In addition to easing testing procedures for entry-level truck drivers, an exemption, if granted, “would allow their compliance staff to better utilize their time and resources in completing the required monitoring of third-party testers,” FLHSMV asserted. “FLHSMV believes the exemption would not compromise safety, because the decision to continue with the test would reside with certified, experienced testers.”
FLHSMV also pointed out that, with implementation of the Federal Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) regulations in 2022, most applicants being tested “have been certified as proficient in operating commercial motor vehicles, having completed behind-the-wheel training that prepares them to safely operate a commercial motor vehicle during the on-road portion of the CDL skills test.”
The ELDT regulations set minimum training requirements that new prospective truck drivers must complete before being allowed to take certain CDL skills or knowledge tests.
Asked to comment on the exemption request, Andrew Poliakoff, executive director of the Commercial Vehicle Training Association, said his association “is encouraged to see Florida pursuing this opportunity to make skills testing more efficient, and we support other states in seeking similar authority.”
Comments on FLHSMV’s application must be received by Jan. 4.
Kevin Oconnor
AS FAR AS PRETRIP ; 90% OF AUTOMMATIC STEERING HOLDERS . HAVE LITTLE OR NONE MECHANICAL PRESENTS . EXEMPTIONS ARE WRONG . BIG RIGGS ; ARE A LARGE EQUIPMEMT . NOT A VIDIEO GAME CRASH @ BURN ; HIT RESET BUTTON
K oconnor
I AM SICK AND TIRERED ; OF GOV;T FMCSA;PUSHING ???? SAFTY . REG;S ?. ON TRUCKING . WHEN ARE THEY RSQUIRE . THE LICENSE 4 WHL PUBLIC . TO HAVE SAFTY TRIANING FOR RENEWING THERE LICENCE . AS OF NOW GET UR PLASTIC ; AND FORGET SAFTY . GOT TO;; GET TO STORE; OR WORK ; CUT OFF A SEMI RIGG .MOTORING PUBLIC ARE MORONS AS FAR AS SAFTY . PICK WHICH MAJOR CITY . !! 45 YRS + CLASS A@ CDL .4 WHLS ARE THE PROBLEM….!!
Wayne Goss
If you are not properly taught at time of test you will have less people DOING the inspection every time before they get behind the wheel and that is very dangerous
Jason
THIS IS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS!!!! There is to many idiots with CDL’s now that can’t even do a pretrip and shouldn’t have ever been issued a CDL in the first place!!!! I own and operate a truck and trailer repair business and some of these idiots drive around with frames broke in half and suspension and steering parts completely warn out and broken and they have NO clue because they don’t even know what they are looking at!!!!! And they have NEVER performed a pretrip because some truck driving school SOLD them a license!!!!!! IF ANYTHING THE CDL PRETRIP SHOULD BE EVEN HARDER THAN IT IS NOW!!!!
RALPH Driscoll
They should take the test over again fully that’s what I had to do when I got my CDL test this is stupid the way these new drivers are they’re just like the car drivers have no experience they have road rage and all they can drive is automatics All they are is steering wheel holders
LARRY M COMSTOCK
You should of added that to retake test, that one would also be charged again a total fee to retake test! Sometimes up to and above $350.00.
Ismael corzo
I would say am cool with that, if Fl will also stop issuing OOS violations for pre trip items. Since they are ok with drivers that cant pre trip a truck.
Ronald arneil
So if this is granted how do you know your truck is safe to get behind the wheel if you don’t know how to inspect it in the first place?? 🤔