To the Editor

Thank you for the article in the Nov. 15 issue of Bus & Motorcoach News (page 18), regarding the upcoming CDL holder self-certification process.

The essence of the new Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulation, originally printed in the Dec. 1, 2008 issue of the Federal Register, was captured well in your article and is an excellent alert to all CDL holders and bus operators to pay attention to their state licensing agency mail during the next two years.

I would like to urge your readers to take this important issue a step further, though.

Beginning Jan. 30, 2012, all state licensing agencies must begin notifying their CDL holders of the new requirements of self-certification and submission of medical examiner certificates if driving interstate (in most cases).

In Pennsylvania, there are 400,000 CDL holders, so this is going to be a lengthy -- as well as meticulous task -- for PennDOT.

I can't stress enough to the bus operators and state bus associations all across our nation to get in touch with their own state licensing agency soon, ask for copies of letters they intend to send out to CDL holders so the bus operators can alert their drivers.

If a CDL holder chooses to ignore communication from their state licensing agency regarding the self-certification issue, then he or she risks a CDL downgrade that results in the loss of the ability to drive a commercial vehicle.

If this sounds like a severe "penalty," it is. There will be many CDL holders in the U.S. scratching their heads during the next several years wondering why they suddenly had their licenses downgraded.

All CDL holders must be in the FMCSA CDLIS system as having self-certified to their state licensing agency no later than Jan. 30, 2014. BUT, the state licensing agency must start the process by Jan. 30, 2012 -- no exceptions.

As executive director of the Pennsylvania Bus Association, I have been in constant contact with PennDOT, worked with the Governor's Office and state House/Senate transportation committee chairs to pass much-needed vehicle code amendments to implement this new FMCSA regulation.

Once this occurs, PennDOT has agreed to share with PBA and others samples of correspondence that will be sent to CDL holders in Pennsylvania. We sincerely appreciate PennDOT's partnership on this important issue as a means to educate all CDL holders on what they need to do, and in the timeframe they are being given.

Bottom line, and my recommendation, is for bus operators and/or state bus associations to FIRST, contact their CDL licensing agency, SECOND, obtain copies of correspondence the agency intends to send to CDL holders, THIRD, share the information with their CDL drivers, and FOURTH, get involved in the process of educating your CDL drivers that ignoring the mail from the licensing agency will result in their inability to make a living for their families.

It is a challenge to find good safe motorcoach drivers so employers need to become involved in the new requirements to keep the drivers they have -- after spending many years finding and training them.

I have asked the United Motorcoach Association to bring this issue up at the always-well-attended State Association Summit that is conducted annually as part of UMA Motorcoach Expo. The next Expo will be in February in Long Beach, Calif.

Thank you again for your efforts with this important issue.

Elaine Farrell, CAE
Executive Director
Pennsylvania Bus Association
www.pabus.org