Governor Hochul Allows More Third Parties Administer CDL Road Exams to tackle a driver shortage
Expanding access to the Commercial Driver's License road test to the public and private sectors, Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the beginning of phase two of her proposal. The Governor has undertaken several initiatives, including this initiative, to address the severe shortage of truck and bus drivers. Today, the Department of Motor Vehicles accepts applications for certification from any competent third party. In January, Governor Hochul announced the program's trial phase, allowing the Department of Motor Vehicles to collaborate with other authorities to certify them.
Rather than merely focusing on increasing the number of New Yorkers with valid driver's licenses, Governor Hochul has pledged to open up "new channels" to ensure the state's continued mobility. "Providing children with safe transportation to and from school, as well as facilitating the distribution of essential supplies, will be facilitated by enabling third parties to provide road tests for truck and bus drivers. To assist move the state's economy ahead, my administration is dedicated to maintaining our efforts to fill the gap in the supply of commercial drivers."
Bus, tour bus, and truck businesses, among others, will soon be able to offer road tests for commercial driver's licenses in New York State, thanks to this next step. By expanding the number of testing locations across the state and decreasing wait times, this statewide initiative hopes to alleviate the critical shortage of commercial drivers.
The DMV is expanding a pilot program from earlier this year, in which a dozen testing centers across the state participated, to include all third-party organizations that meet the program's eligibility requirements. To ensure that CDL examiners are properly trained and monitored, the DMV has implemented stringent training and monitoring requirements for the administration of road tests.
Applying to become a third-party examination entity, particularly "for-hire" options, can be done through the DMV's website.
Mark J.F. Schroeder, the commissioner of the New York State Transportation department, stated, "New York, like the rest of the country, has a lack of commercial drivers, but thanks to Governor Hochul's leadership, the Department of Motor Vehicles is working to remedy this situation. Our goal in allowing these independent organizations to administer commercial road tests is to help truckers and transportation firms expedite the licensing and qualification of new drivers. More of these drivers are desperately needed across the entire state of New York because they are essential to virtually every facet of daily life here. DMV will take all necessary precautions to guarantee that any third-party administered road tests are conducted correctly."