Waiting for Commercial Drivers License Test in Fresno

I’m Ed Smith, a Fresno truck accident lawyer. Becoming a commercial truck driver can be an exciting career choice. Many drivers are anxious to start after finishing training. This used to be disappointing for some due to the long wait times to take the commercial drivers license test in California. A Fresno assemblyman tackled this in a bill to decrease the wait, fueling changes in DMV policy.

DMV Wait Time

In the recent past, drivers wishing to take the commercial drivers license test waited on average 6 or 7 weeks to get the chance. According to an instructor with a trucking school in California, his students were ready to take the test six or seven weeks after beginning training. Waiting, he feels, had a deleterious effect on the driver’s spirit and even their interest in driving.

DMV in California

According to those who find the wait time to take a commercial drivers license test too long, the wait has been problematic for some time. According to the DMV itself, wait times were long in several cities, including Fresno. In Fresno, the wait to have an appointment at the DMV was 50 days. Overall in California, wait times went from 21 to 61 days calculated from Monday through Friday.

The director of the Fresno Department of Transportation said the wait times in Fresno have consistently been a problem, citing a problem with licensure for bus drivers in the city for two years. In fact, extended wait times in the latter part of 2016 required that 15 prospective drivers be sent to Sacramento to take the test. Even though the DOT paid for a place to stay in the state capital and wages for the 48-hour period, two drivers only were able to be tested.

New Legislation

AB-301, introduced in February 2017, sought to alleviate the long wait time by allowing testing by third parties. For other licenses, such as real estate, California allows the use of third parties. Although the DMV set up a new testing center in Gardena, hoping to test more applicants, proponents of third-party testing insist that this is a more economically beneficial way than building new testing centers.

AB-301’s Influence

The DMV acknowledges the long wait time and the large number of drivers waiting to be tested. In response, it has opened up Saturday testing at nine centers statewide. This helps lower the wait time to thirty days. However, for those favoring third-party testing, the duration remains excessive.

Requirements for a Commercial Drivers License

There are strict rules in California for procuring a commercial drivers license.

A commercial drivers license applicant must pass both a practical and written exam.
An applicant must have reached their 18th birthday for non-hazmat and non-interstate travel.
For the latter, an applicant must be at least 21 years old
To apply, an applicant must have:
- Form DL 44C, which is an official CA commercial driver application for licensure
- A 10-year check of driving history if an out-of-state driver’s license was used in that period
- Completed medical exam by a physician certified to do such exams
- A form saying what sort of commercial driving the applicant wishes to do called a self-certification form
- Proof of Social Security number
- Proof of birthdate
- Proof of legal status such as naturalization or permanent resident paperwork
- Fingerprints
- Vision test
- Proof of passing the written test

Accident Injuries Due to Truck Driver Negligence

Injuries caused by a truck accident due to an inexperienced or negligent driver can be life altering. They include:

Fresno Truck Accident Lawyer

I’m Ed Smith, a Fresno truck accident lawyer. If you have been injured or a member of your family has died due to a negligent trucker, call me at (559) 377-7676, or if you live outside the area, at my toll-free number (800) 404-5400 for free and friendly advice.

As an injury lawyer, I have assisted many California clients, including those in Fresno, to obtain just damages in wrongful deaths and traumatic injuries.

You can review comments by former clients and my peers on my Yelp, Avvo and Google pages. You can also review my Verdicts and Settlements page for previous cases and how I resolved them.

All members of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum are trial attorneys who have won verdicts/settlements of $1 million or more. I am a California member of this group.

I founded and own Autoaccident.com. This is a website that provides pertinent information about types of personal injury law.

Photo Attribution: https://pixabay.com/en/truck-yellow-cast-america-new-york-856345/

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Waiting for Commercial Drivers License Test in Fresno