LaHood, Balderson offer bill to gas up commercial trucking workforce

U.S. Reps. Darin LaHood (R-IL) and Troy Balderson (R-OH) on Feb. 2 introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation that would put more commercial truckers on America’s highways in an effort to reduce supply chain shortages.

“The downstream economic effects of the driver shortage are immeasurable and American families continue to face further disruption in the delivery of groceries, medical supplies and business inventories across the nation,” said Rep. LaHood. “This commonsense legislation… will give companies the ability to hire qualified, safe drivers and strengthen the economy in Illinois.”

Rep. LaHood sponsored the Licensing Individual Commercial Exam-takers Now Safely and Efficiently (LICENSE) Act, H.R. 6567, with cosponsors including Rep. Balderson and U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX). The companion bill, S. 3556, was sponsored on Feb. 2 by U.S. Sens. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ).

“This legislation eliminates regulatory barriers to filling in-demand truck driver jobs,” said Rep. Balderson. “I’m proud to support making these common-sense waivers permanent. Doing so provides much-needed relief for our truckers and will help to ensure products arrive on-time to doorsteps and store shelves across the country.”

If enacted, the measure would direct the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to modify certain regulations related to the requirements for commercial driver’s license testing and commercial learner’s permit holders, such as removing the requirement that commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders who accompany commercial learner’s permit (CLP) holders be seated in the front seat. The bill would make it acceptable for CDL holders to be elsewhere in the cab of the truck, according to the bill summary.

Additionally, the bill would allow states to administer driving skills tests to applicants from other states and allow state and third-party examiners who have maintained a valid CDL test examiner certification and previously completed a CDL skills test examiner training course to administer the CDL knowledge test without completing a CDL knowledge test training course, the summary says.

“Some of the biggest issues I hear about in central and west-central Illinois are worker and trucking shortages,” Rep. LaHood said. “As we face unprecedented supply chain challenges, this legislation will help streamline the process to obtain a commercial driver’s license and reduce unnecessary red tape.”

Groups supporting the legislation include the American Trucking Associations, the National Tank Truck Carriers, the Truckload Carriers Association, and the Intermodal Carriers Conference.