The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has declined a request from Florida authorities seeking an exemption from specific provisions in the Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) skills testing regulations.
In December, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) submitted a request to FMCSA, proposing that the three-part CDL skills test be conducted and completed in a different order: starting with the pre-trip inspection, followed by basic vehicle control skills, and concluding with on-road skills.
FLHSMV’s proposal aimed to grant testers the discretion to continue assessing an applicant who failed either the pre-trip inspection or basic vehicle control skills portions of the test. Subsequently, applicants could return at a later date solely to retake the failed segment(s). FLHSMV argued that this exemption would optimize compliance staff’s time and resources by streamlining the monitoring of third-party testers.
Support for the exemption was voiced by the Commercial Vehicle Training Association (CVTA) and the National Tank Truck Carriers (NTTC) during the public comment period.
In its denial the FMCSA “believes that conducting the elements of the CDL skills test in the required order (i.e., pre-trip inspection, vehicle control skills test, on-road skills test) is the best practice for the safety of the CDL applicant, the examiner, and any motorists who must share the public roadway with the CDL applicant during the on-road portion of the CDL skills test.”
However, FMCSA countered by highlighting the existing flexibility within current regulations regarding retesting. The regulations already accommodate retesting based on the specific stage at which a candidate fails the three-part CDL skills test. If an applicant fails the pre-trip inspection, they are required to retake the entire test.
If they pass the pre-trip but fail the vehicle control portion, they must return to repeat only the vehicle control segment before proceeding to the on-road test. Finally, if a candidate passes both the pre-trip and vehicle control segments but fails the on-road test, they are only obligated to retake the on-road test.
By denying the exemption request, FMCSA maintains adherence to existing regulations while ensuring consistency and standardization in CDL skills testing procedures.
“The sequence of the skills test ensures that an applicant has demonstrated sufficient knowledge and skills to safely attempt the next step in the testing process,” FMCSA said. “The current regulations also provide flexibility, in that generally, applicants are not required to retake portions of the test which have been successfully completed. Moreover, with the implementation of the federal Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) requirements, the agency believes [states] should see a reduction in the percentage of applicants who fail portions of the CDL skills test.”
Source: Commercial Carrier Journal
