FMCSA looks to renew study on CDL skills test delays

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration plans to renew a study on commercial driver’s license skills test delays that was mandated by the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act.

The notice was published in the Federal Register on Monday, Dec. 14.

The 2015 FAST Act included a provision that required FMCSA to produce a study on CDL skills test delays each year.

As part of the study, FMCSA is asked to submit an annual report describing:

• The average wait time from the date an applicant requests to take a skills test to the date the applicant has the opportunity to complete the test.
• The average wait time from the date an applicant, upon failure of a skills test, requests a retest to the date the applicant has the opportunity to complete the retest.
• The actual number of qualified CDL examiners available to test applicants.
• The number of testing sites available through the state department of motor vehicles and whether this number has increased from the previous year.

In addition, the report is required to include “specific steps the administrator is taking to address skills testing delays in states that have average skills test or retest wait times of more than seven days.”

The study will not continue if it is not completed each year.

“This data collection aims to continue to create longitudinal data where currently there is none,” the notice stated. “If the information collection occurs on a less-than-annual basis, FMCSA will not be able to make observations on yearly trends or analyze differences between states.”

A public comment period on the notice will be open for 30 days. Comments can be made at the Regulations.gov website by using Docket No. FMCSA-2020-0117. LL