In the April edition of the MMTA e-newsletter, we announced that Maine BMV would be expanding the CDL skills test elements in order to comply with FMCSA requirements. BMV has shared the additional requirements to the current testing protocols to give advanced notice to the trucking industry in order to prepare for the changes.
The additional changes that will have the greatest impact on members will be the amount of time that each road test will take. The increased time is due to the additional elements that were not previously performed, and the travel distance required in order to fit in each element, especially in more rural testing locations.
Effective July 1, 2022 the CDL road test will be modified to include the following elements:
- Four Left and Four Right Turns
- Two Lane Change Maneuvers (left to right/right to left)
- A Straight Section of Urban Business Street (moderate traffic density)
- Intersections (both stop and through intersections/2 each)
- One Railroad Crossing (could be simulated)
- Two Curves. One Curve to the Left and one Curve to the Right (checking for tracking of rear of vehicle)
- Section of Expressway or Highway (an expressway segment close to the testing area. If no expressway, freeway, etc., then use a highway with a minimum speed of 45 mph).
- Roadside Stop/Start (Hill Stop)
- Low Clearance, Weight Restriction, or Traffic Sign (checking that drivers are aware of signage)
- Student Discharge (applicable for those seeking a school bus endorsement)
Note: you can review the current skills test in the CDL MANUAL online: https://www.maine.gov/sos/bmv/licenses/motoristhandbook.pdf
In order to facilitate the various road test requirements, all initial road test applicants will be allotted 90 minutes to complete the pre-trip inspection, skills maneuvers and road test. This is an increase of about 30 minutes from the current test.
Applicants who are retesting due to disqualification during prior pre-trip or skills test will be allotted one hour of test time.
To coincide with the expanded road test, a new scoring form will be implemented in accordance with nationally adopted standards. In order to pass, the applicant must not accumulate more than 30 infractions during the road test or commit an automatic disqualifier such as going through a stop sign, running a red light, etc.
Maine BMV will be closely monitoring the rollout on July 1st and is encouraging feedback from MMTA members. Should you experience any issues of importance or would like to provide feedback, please feel free to contact Randy or Tim at MMTA.