States can now waive the general knowledge test for current or former military truck drivers looking to obtain their commercial learner’s permit or CDL.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued the two-year exemption that went into effect Thursday, Oct. 27 after the Missouri Department of Revenue requested the exemption earlier this year. The exemption effectively gives military truck drivers credit for their military training.
In order to qualify for the exemption, the FMCSA says applicants:
- must be current or former military members, including National Guard and reservists
- have been regularly employed within the year before application in a military position the requires the operation of large trucks
- have received formal military training for that duty.
The FMCSA says it granted the exemption because the training for these drivers in the military includes “many hours of classroom training, practical skills training and on-the-road training.” The agency adds the hours of training these drivers receive in the military is greater than the number of hours required in its own proposed Entry-Level Driver Training rule.
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