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 C
No. Just no. You’re sending a really bad message to the industry. This is one of the most ridiculous and dangerous ideas I’ve ever seen. What’s next, you can secure a trailer door with duct tape if the latch is broken? You can fix that later as well. Total nonsense.
Donald Hickman
Tell me again how “its about safety”. The simplest part of day short of sleeping, and yet arguably the most important routine, and you want to exempt it from the test?
Joe Schneider
Thier is no reason to ask for this exemption , there is already to many people that should not have a CDL I call them steering wheel monkeys they cause accidents making the road unsafe . Your half assed attitude, is what causes you to fail a pretrip, the test is designed to hold all CDL holders accountable, if you can’t pass and know how to do a proper pretrip, then how would you even know of a failed braking system, a accident is too late. It should have never left the terminal or your driveway,the test is 3parts you must pass all 3parts to obtain your CDL,. Any failure is a failed test end of story, you wanted the CDL earn it as I have and thousands others have, and the idea of a make up for the one part they failed B’s, you must pass all 3, to obtain the CDL and be tested, because of lack of training thier many fatal accidents I have taughtdrivers how to adjust brakes, fact one if you don’t know what your brake adjustment is suppose to be you don’t know how to do a pretrip, thier fore you can not do a legally safe pretrip, everyday day highway safety suffers and the death till climbs, everyday gov officials, and major motor carriers, push and lobby for easier CDL requirements, there’s a shortage ofdrivers ditch that idea thiers a shortage of earning a living wages across the board driving positions, earning a living wage, means you pay for everything, your house, your healthcare, taxes,your car, food, BYE YOURSELF, if you collect welfare or any form of government help, you have a wife that works, roommates, extended family in one household to get the bills paid your not making a living wage,.
I am owner op, I pay for everything, I have 17 years behind my rig , and this industry in trucking has become a joke,
You must pass all 3parts in one test then you get what you came for a CDL.
Staple rule 1 must know what to look for while doing pretrip, to do pretrip,
Staple rule 2 if you cannot shift a truck you don’t belong in one.
Staple rule3 if rules one and two are not met you don’t belong possessing a CDL, or driving a rig.
Yup it’s that simple. As thousands of others have a CDL , nothing should change your not special if you can’t do a pretrip.
Cause you have a CDL it dont make you a trucker or driver, that’s earned with miles seat time and being able to solve problems.
Yup I’m ol school. And i am OOFL. Look it up. If your in trucking don’t know that accronym, you have not even earned driver status
James Early
There is no excuse for this request. The first step or on the road safety IS literally the Pre-Trip. If you can’t pass that portion of the testing, you are not capable of safely operating the vehicle in any way. We need stricter testing, more stringent requirements on schools, and most of all. We need to disolve the lie of the driver shortage. There is no shortage of driver and therefore seriously no need for any testing exemptions.
Mike Paluszewski
I would imagine that as long as the new entrant does pass the Pre-trip portion of the test within a certain period of time & only given maybe 1 second chance, then roll with it.
The 1 second chance could b an incentive to making sure they get it right as the pre trip inspection is very important
Bob
The pre trip is and should be the first step. If you can’t pass the first step you don’t go to the next step because it’s a inconvenient for the third party tester.
I put my study time and practice in .
Passed the first time.
LP
It’s bad enough that new drivers can’t back into dock areas. They don’t understand basic trucker etiquette at fuel lanes, but now not passing pre-trip inspection test?
I don’t want to be behind the guy who doesn’t check the tires. Or know when the engine is low on oil.
Larry
I feel that drivers must know how to do the pre-trip basic skills test and the road test, and they all must be administered 1 day or they do not know what they’re doing. Guys that knows how to pre trip a truck can do it in 20 to 30 minutes. Guide it knows how to background maneuvers in 5 minutes. Quit making it easy for all these foreign people to get licenses.