Commercial driver's license
[6] On 15 November 2021, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation to lower the minimum age for a CDL Class A from 21 to 18.
[8] The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed into law on 15 November 2021 by President Joe Biden established the "safe driver apprenticeship pilot program" that would allow qualified 18 to 20-year-olds with a CDL to operate in interstate commerce after successful completion of supervised training with an older and experienced driver.
[2] In 1992, when the Act became law, all drivers were required to have a CDL in order to drive a Commercial Motor Vehicle.
For example, a driver licensed in New Jersey must have a CDL to drive a bus, limousine, or van that is used for hire and designed to transport 8 to 15 passengers.
[15] In addition, possession of a CDL in California changes the threshold for a Driving Under the Influence citation from 0.08% to 0.04% blood alcohol content.
These training programs specialize in teaching potential truck drivers the necessary skills and knowledge to properly and safely operate a truck, including map reading, trip planning, and compliance with U.S. Department of Transportation laws, as well as backing, turning, hooking a trailer, and road driving.
The overall purpose of these training schools is to help truckers-to-be pass the CDL knowledge and skills tests as well as advanced driving techniques such as skid avoidance and recovery and other emergency actions for situations such as a breakaway trailer and hydroplaning.
[20] A prospective driver must pass a series of written exams for a learner permit, or to add endorsements.
Some examples of an impairment which disqualifies a driver include the inability to grasp a steering wheel or operate foot pedals, insulin use, certain cardiac and respiratory problems, markedly elevated blood pressure, epilepsy, some severe psychiatric disorders, certain color blindness, poor corrected vision in either eye (worse than 20/40), bilateral hearing loss, active alcoholism, and other conditions which significantly increase the risk of a medical emergency behind the wheel.
Trucking companies can use a commercial service that has clearance for providing this information as a means of screening prospective employees.
Additionally, an operator of a CMV that is found to have 'any detectable amount of BAC above 0.0%' will be put out of service for a minimum of 24 hours.
A driver must report any driving conviction within 30 days, except parking, to their employer regardless of the nature of the violation.
The notification must be made by the end of the next business day following receipt of the notice of the suspension, revocation, cancellation, lost privilege or disqualification.
[30] The process generally includes: Regulatory Framework Countries regulate commercial driving licenses to ensure safety, efficiency, and compliance with national and international transport standards.
Licensing requirements may include age restrictions, medical examinations, knowledge and skills testing, and ongoing professional development to enhance driver competence and road safety.
All places in Australia have a mostly similar driver licence system, although some things can change in each state or territory (e.g. what classes of license are available).
A 'Class C' Licence allows the holder to drive cars, utilities, vans, some light trucks, car-based motor tricycles, tractors and implements such as graders.
For drivers aged 25 or over the minimum period for holding the unrestricted time is reduced to three months, or waived entirely on completion of an approved course of instruction.
Additional endorsements on an NZ driver's licence govern provision of special commercial services.
Being granted an I, O, P and/or V endorsement requires that the applicant passes a "fit and proper person" check, to screen for people with criminal convictions or serious driving infringements.
