Ohio upgrades CDL services, testing

Updates are now in place that offer a more convenient method of obtaining or renewing a commercial driver’s license in Ohio.

These upgrades, developed by InnovateOhio and the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, allow Ohio CDL holders to avoid long wait times and lines at deputy registrar locations by giving them the ability to renew at home with the click of a button. A new license will be sent by mail.

The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles also is modernizing its testing to more accurately require knowledge of modern vehicles and skills needed for a CDL holder to safely operate a vehicle, the agency said.

An extension of the commercial learner’s permit has been increased from six months to one year.

“These latest CDL improvements for Ohio truckers are the latest in a series of BMV innovations in collaboration with InnovateOhio,” Charlie Norman, Ohio BMV registrar, said in a statement. “To date, these modernizations have saved Ohioans over 4.5 million trips to deputy registrar locations and more than 500,000 hours of standing in line.”

According to the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, there are over 380,000 active commercial driver’s licenses in the state.

“Freight infrastructure has made our state an anchor for global and domestic supply chains,” Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, director of InnovateOhio, said in a news release. “Through these kinds of technological upgrades, in which it’s easier for truckers to comply, we’re eliminating friction and taking meaningful steps in that direction.”

Federal CDL grant

In September, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced $48 million in grant funding to increase driver training opportunities while improving the process of obtaining a commercial driver’s license.

“With these grants, we are helping states bring more well-trained drivers into this essential field, strengthening our supply chains for years to come,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a news release. LL