New federal rules affect CDL procedures

The Georgia Department of Driver Services will be implementing several legislative changes July 1 that will affect commercial driver testing. House Bill 118, passed during the 2015 session of the Georgia General Assembly, also limits cellphone use while operating a commercial vehicle. These procedural changes bring Georgia into compliance with new federal mandates.

Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) customers must hold a CDL learner’s permit for a minimum of 14 days (two weeks) before scheduling a CDL road test. Commercial learner’s permits are obtained by providing all previously required documentation and successfully passing a General Knowledge Test and testing for any endorsements (if required). The CDL learner’s permit will be valid for 180 days (six months) and may be renewed one time for an additional 180 days (six months). Upon the expiration of the second 180-day term, the CDL learner’s permit holder shall upgrade to a commercial driver’s license after the appropriate vehicle testing, or the customer shall submit a new application, pay the required fees, and retake the required knowledge and skills tests to obtain a new CDL instructional permit.

No person shall operate a commercial motor vehicle on any public road or highway of this state while holding a wireless telecommunications device to conduct a voice communication; using more than a single button on a wireless telecommunications device to initiate or terminate a voice communication; or reaching for a wireless telecommunications device in such a manner that requires the driver to maneuver so that he or she is no longer in a seated driving position properly restrained by a safety belt.