As school transportation providers across the nation continue to struggle with a shortage of bus drivers, Pennsylvania will not permit companies based in the Keystone state from taking advantage of a federal requirement waiver.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association recently issued guidance that would allow for states to temporarily waive a requirement of the school bus skills test that applicants be able to perform certain “under the hood” maintenance work.
A bipartisan letter signed by state leaders like Democrat Governor Tom Wolf and Republican Senator Wayne Langerholc of Johnstown who is the Transportation Committee Chair, stated that “it is not feasible” to implement the waiver in Pennsylvania.
The letter calls the temporary waiver a “step in the right direction” but points out that some bus drivers in Pennsylvania have to drive across state lines to transport students so different kinds of CDLs would have to be issued based on what states accept the waiver.
The letter writers state that they would favor a school bus driver specific CDL to address the ongoing problem of school bus driver retention.