Senator Eric Pratt (R-Prior Lake) presented legislation that allows third-party road testing for commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) consistent with federal regulations and using the same criteria adopted by 20 other states. The bill states that any third-party testing program must be approved by the Department of Vehicle Services (DVS) and be located in Minnesota. Third party testers would be overseen by the Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety and would prove instrumental in assisting with the road test backlogs for CDL applicants.

Last month, an Independent Expert Review (IER) report was released, detailing 31 recommendations for DVS locations throughout the state. Recommendation 11 stated that “DVS should seek authority to leverage certified and impartial third parties for administration of knowledge and road tests, where and when needed.”

“This bill gives our state a way to address the backlog of testing times associated with obtaining commercial driver’s licenses, which will help offset the supply chain issues we’re all facing,” said Pratt. “Our state is currently facing a shortage of 5,200 truck drivers, and anyone that wants to take the road test for CDLs is facing wait times up to 4 months—no other state has that length of wait. We can streamline this process and as a result get people employed in well-paying jobs without compromising safety.”

The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the final State Government omnibus bill.