Requirements Analysis for a Heavy Vehicle Driver Licensing System

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Requirements Analysis for a Heavy Vehicle Driver Licensing System

P. F. Waller / L. K. Li

The project addressed the licensing requirements for drivers of heavy trucks and the feasibility of federal licensing of these drivers. Data analyses indicate that heavy trucks pose a problem, but many of the key questions cannot be adequately answered on the basis of available data. Although the Bureau of Motor Carrier Safety (BMCS) and state regulatory authorities have responsibility for the qualification and monitoring of many of the drivers of concern, in actual practice they are unable to insure that all drivers are qualified. This situation underscores the need for an effective licensing and monitoring system. Licensing recommendations cover verifications of driver identity; medical requirements; vision, knowledge, and skills testing; and an interstate identification file that is checked whenever license is first issued in any state. It is recommended that existing state programs in licensing, records, and enforcement be used in establishing an effective licensing program. Federal standards with enforceable sanctions will probably be necessary to encourage states to upgrade their programs. However, a cooperative state program should be far more effective and less costly than a federal licensing program.