CDL legislation eases career path for commercial drivers
FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – Obtaining a Commercial Drivers License has become much easier in Minnesota. The 180-hour CDL training mandate was officially lifted July 1.
Minnesota lawmakers spearheaded the initiative to address testing backlogs, allow training programs to expand, and help grow the work force. Lawmakers gathered at M-State in Moorhead on Thursday to speak about the new legislation and the impact it will have on the industry.
”It’s a huge need in our community to make sure that we have licensed commercial drivers who can get goods to market across the state. I also had a chance to talk to a lot of students who are excited about getting into this profession. But because testing was taking weeks and sometimes months to get completed it was delaying them getting their start and so now that this legislation past. M-State and other colleges will be able to provide the testing on site to help get students on the road quicker and to make sure that they have the credentials they need to be successful,” said District 9 Senator Jordan Rasmusson, who represents the Fergus Falls area.
Rep. Heather Keeler of Moorhead was also at Thursday’s event, along with representatives from M-State and the Minnesota State Transportation Center of Excellence.
“Our local higher education systems have the students and resources they need to produce quality CDL drivers, we just needed to break down the barriers prohibiting them from doing so,” says Rep. Keeler. “I’m grateful for the M State coalition that came together to solve the issue, efficiently answering Minnesota’s need to get more CDL drivers on the road.”
“Some 10,000 people per year seek to obtain or renew their CDL licenses in Minnesota,” says Craig Beytien, Vice President-Strategic Engagement at M State. “With just 26 testing sites in the state, they’ve been having to wait up to nine weeks, and sometimes travel hundreds of miles, to be tested.”
He adds that the law change, which went into effect July 1, “allows M State and other public postsecondary institutions to conduct testing at our own local sites and move people through the CDL pipeline more quickly. It means we can expand our CDL programs, in size and scope, to better meet student and workforce needs.”
The removal of the 180-hour training requirement was approved by Gov. Tim Walz in May as part of the bipartisan Transportation Policy Omnibus Bill.
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