North Carolina Truck & Insurance News: New 2020 CDL Training Requirements
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has announced they will be moving forward with major changes to CDL requirements on a nationwide level. New licensing regs will come into effect February, 2020.
The staff at North Carolina commercial truck insurance provider JEB Insurance LLC wants commercial drivers and freight companies to be aware of these changes. Even if you currently have a CDL, these changes can affect you!
Summary of New CDL Training Requirements
1. New Drivers Must Pass a Federal Exam. Aspiring truckers will no longer be able to walk into their local DMV, pass a test and get a CDL. Now all drivers must complete an approved CDL training course presented by an approved training provider.
In other words, trucking schools will all need to become federally recognized and adjust their curriculum. Once a student passes the federal exam, then the school will forward results to FMCSA. THEN the FMCSA will forward results to the driver’s home state. CDL students will only be able to get their license once the results show up on their state driving records.
2.Approved Curriculum includes Theory, Range Driving & Road Driving topics.
3.Endorsements Such as H (Hazmat) Are Effected. Current Class A CDL drivers will need to complete a federally approved course for certain endorsements, particularly H. You’ll no longer be able to go to your local DMV and pass a test for the Hazmat endorsement. Drivers will need to attend a federally recognized training program at a recognized school. Again, the results will be forwarded to FMCSA and then to your home state.
4. Changes Go Into Effect February, 2020.
North Carolina big rig insurance companies and freight companies hope to benefit from these changes. New drivers will have a more complete, standardized education. It should make hiring drivers easier for companies, and in theory insurers will be taking less of a risk on new truckers. The new layer of approval should help lower instances of CDL/ID theft, freight mismanagement, human trafficking and lower the potential for terrorism-by-truck. If you’d like to discuss this or other North Carolina trucker & insurance topics contact us.
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