CDTA to hold Commercial Driver License road tests

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) - The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) announced Tuesday that the Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) has been approved to provide the Commercial Driver License skills test to new drivers hired by the authority. CDTA is the first third-party provider to be approved under the new program.

The program is being implemented in two phases. In the first phase, the DMV will work with authorities and state agencies with large amounts of commercial vehicles to begin conducting Commercial Driver's License road tests. The second phase is set to start in late 2022 and will include qualified private entities. New CDL Driver Testing sites opened up as New York partnered with SUNY, the Thruway Authority, New York Racing Association, and the Office of General Services to use large lots throughout their sites.

In addition to the new CDL road test program, the Vehicle and Traffic Law was amended to establish an intrastate commercial driver license (CDL) class A young adult training program as of May 14. This will allow the DMV to issue a Class A CDL to a person who is 18, 19, or 20 years old in hopes of relieving the shortage of drivers in the trucking company.

“Commercial drivers are essential to our communities and to our state’s economy by ensuring that vital goods are delivered on time, children get to school safely, and critical infrastructure projects move forward,” said DMV Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder. “By approving third parties to conduct commercial road tests, we are empowering partner entities to test their drivers and expanding capacity at the existing state-run sites, making it faster and easier to get qualified commercial drivers on the road.”