Task force examines CDL program

Jan 26, 2009

A report (.pdf file) issued Jan. 8 offers recommendations for improvements to the federal Commercial Driver's License Program.

The recommendations were made by the Commercial Driver's License Advisory Committee – a task force charged by Congress with studying and addressing current impediments and challenges to the Commercial Driver's License Program under a mandate by the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). Committee members included state motor vehicle administrators, members of government agencies, and trucking industry and labor union representatives.

According to the report, task force members agreed that the existing CDL program, overseen by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, is "a highly effective safety program" for removing unsafe drivers from the highways and does not merit major modification or restructuring. Instead, the group suggested:

• Execution of existing program fundamentals
• Implementation of recommended incremental program improvements
• Providing stakeholders with additional automated tools
• Use of technology advances