Lawmakers are pushing for changes to make it easier to become a truck driver in the U.S.
What's happening: Senators Cynthia Lummis and Mark Kelly introduced the LICENSE Act on January 24, 2025.
- This bill aims to simplify the process of getting a commercial driver’s license (CDL) by extending certain measures used during the pandemic.
- It allows CDL test supervisors to sit in the sleeper berth and permits testing across state lines.
- The goal is to reduce the time it takes to obtain a CDL without compromising safety.
Why it matters: The shortage of truck drivers affects the whole country, especially rural areas that rely heavily on trucks for delivery.
- According to an official press release, the LICENSE Act aims to ease these bottlenecks in the supply chain.
Wide support: The proposal has backing from major trucking associations, recognizing it as a step towards streamlining complicated licensing procedures.
- The American Trucking Associations and the National Tank Truck Carriers are among those endorsing it.
Supporters hope that simplifying the CDL process will increase the number of qualified drivers, helping keep goods on the move across the nation.