FMCSA Clarifies Issuance of Commercial Learner’s Permits

Photo: FMCSA

Guidance just issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Administration clarifies that a state may accept applications for commercial learner's permits and administer the general knowledge test to individuals who are not domiciled there.

Per the agency's notice published in the Federal Register for Aug. 3, the guidance was issued to clarify that FMSCA had not meant to limit the extending of this out-of-state consideration to applicants who had served in the military.

Based on the new guidance, states that choose to administer the general knowledge test must transmit the test results “directly, securely, and electronically” to the applicant's state of domicile and that state must agree to accept the test results and issue the commercial learner's permit.

The agency stated that while “the guidance is in answer to general knowledge testing as addressed in FMCSA regulations, we note that this regulatory guidance is consistent with the agency's October 13, 2016, final rule, which amended the CDL regulations to ease the transition of military personnel into civilian careers driving commercial motor vehicles.”

Related: Two New Rules Would Help Ease Truck Driver Shortage

Follow @HDTrucking on Twitter

Here’s how Tesla’s Model 3 stacks up against the competition

Tesla has started production for its Model 3, the company's first mass-market vehicle, and it's a...

Intermodal Recovery Strengthens During Second Quarter

Intermodal service providers again demonstrated clear gains in the intermodal sector. Photo: Jim Park

Total intermodal freight volumes gained 4.5% in the second quarter of the year, the strongest growth in nearly three years, according to new figures from the Intermodal Association of North America.

International freight once again was the primary driver, rising 5.6%. Domestic containers and trailer volumes increased 3.2% and 3.9%, respectively.

"Growth in the second quarter indicates that economic conditions continue to improve for all segments of the intermodal market,” said Joni Casey, president and CEO of IANA. “Year-to-date performance is a healthy 3.3%, notwithstanding a weak year-over-year comparison for the second quarter."

Intermodal service providers again demonstrated clear gains in the intermodal sector. While highway loads declined 3.4%, intermodal volumes were up 5.8% for the quarter. The net result was a 0.6% improvement over the same period last year.

The seven highest-density trade corridors, accounting for 63.4% of total intermodal volume, collectively were up 4% in the second quarter. The Trans-Canada lane led the way with an 11.4% expansion, while the Midwest-Northwest, down by 0.6%, experienced the only decline. The remaining five corridors' growth in the second quarter ranged from a 1.3% to 4.6% improvement.

Of these seven lanes, five stood out in terms of directional activity, accounting for 42.9% of the three-month results. The Southwest-Midwest direction took the lion's share with 10.6%. Western Canada-Eastern Canada and the Eastern Canada-Western Canada both came in at 9.2%, while the Midwest-Southwest route added 7.4%. The final in the top five, the Northeast-Midwest, accounted for 6.5%.

Related: The Long and Short of Truckload Today

Follow @HDTrucking on Twitter

Watch a Boeing 787 Dreamliner draw a massive plane above the United States

Watch a Boeing 787 Dreamliner draw a massive plane above the United States.

20-year-old who repeatedly urged friend to commit suicide faces up to 20 years at sentencing Thursday

The fate of the young woman found guilty of sending hundreds of texts telling her boyfriend to...

Michelin applauds Alberta for allowing Super Singles

OTA submits comments to Ontario Labor Bill 148