Pennsylvania CDL Drivers License

[displayfireworks1]

I posted this on my Facebook and will also post here.
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Curious, did anyone with a Commercial Driver?s License in other states receive the same letter I received? Or, is it only certain CDL classifications?
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http://www.pyrotalk.com/bulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=6048&stc=1

[RoosterWalt]

I didn't - in Texas

[215less]

I just got one myself today and hold a class A. Must be real short staffed for the state of education to get the state of transportation involved. Idk.

[BMoore]

Major driver shortages now and its only going to get worse when the new CDL regulations go into effect in February. Basically there will be no way to obtain a CDL without attending an accredited truck driving school. This is going to negatively impact a lot of industries, firework display companies included.

[displayfireworks1]

Someone from Milwaukee reported they are paying parents to drive their kids to school. With the school bus drivers license , another reported soon the Feds are taking over something with it.
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Here is link to some of the changes to start Feb 2022
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https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration/commercial-drivers-license/entry-level-driver-training-eldt

[beaver nation]

Someone from Milwaukee reported they are paying parents to drive their kids to school. With the school bus drivers license , another reported soon the Feds are taking over something with it.
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Here is link to some of the changes to start Feb 2022
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https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration/commercial-drivers-license/entry-level-driver-training-eldt

if they are going to require school bus drivers to get training from an approved school I wonder what the cost will be? and how long the training will take?? This will REALLY screw up things nationwide for school bus driver fulfillment. For Class A and Class B they want around 4k-5k in tuition and a massive amount of hours at driving school and that isn't happening for a part-time gig school bus driving!! wow just crazy. How do the FEDS think they have jurisdiction for this insanity? There are simply no limits to federal power and you can see the resulting de-evolution everywhere.

[BMoore]

if they are going to require school bus drivers to get training from an approved school I wonder what the cost will be? and how long the training will take?? This will REALLY screw up things nationwide for school bus driver fulfillment. For Class A and Class B they want around 4k-5k in tuition and a massive amount of hours at driving school and that isn't happening for a part-time gig school bus driving!! wow just crazy. How do the FEDS think they have jurisdiction for this insanity? There are simply no limits to federal power and you can see the resulting de-evolution everywhere.

When you see articles about massive driver shortages at the same time as these new requirements it does leave you scratching your head. You would think this would have at a minimum been delayed until the supply chain issues are resolved since lack of truck drives are supposedly playing a major role in that.

I'm wondering how this will affect the display fireworks business. How many shooters are going to pay $4,000 - $5,000 tuition to obtain a CDL they will only use a few times a year and never profit off of it? I can understand training for tractor trailer driving and probably school bus driving, but a less than 26,000 box truck without air brakes seems overkill to me just for the sake of hazmat endorsement.

[Birdman]

I have a bus driver in my family and their company will cover the cost to obtain the CDL and will give a decent bonus to any employee that refers a new hire.

[Salutecake]

I have a class A in PA, no other endorsements and also did not receive a letter like you have Dave. The trucking industry has just gotten harder and harder with all the rules and regulations. I wasn't aware until recently that at least in PA, you almost have to be a mechanic to do the pre-trip inspection, and now if you take the driving test in a vehicle with an automatic transmission your not able to drive a truck with a standard transmission.

All the rules keep changes to the point where it is not worth it. Look at school bus drivers - most in my area are older retired people just out making a few bucks. Are there any school bus drivers that are permanent employee's that collect a livable wage 52 weeks out of the year? Then the older people who drive school busses usually have some medical issues, which mean medical tests every year.

Autonomous trucks are on there way.

[displayfireworks1]

I have a class A in PA, no other endorsements and also did not receive a letter like you have Dave. The trucking industry has just gotten harder and harder with all the rules and regulations. I wasn't aware until recently that at least in PA, you almost have to be a mechanic to do the pre-trip inspection, and now if you take the driving test in a vehicle with an automatic transmission your not able to drive a truck with a standard transmission.

All the rules keep changes to the point where it is not worth it. Look at school bus drivers - most in my area are older retired people just out making a few bucks. Are there any school bus drivers that are permanent employee's that collect a livable wage 52 weeks out of the year? Then the older people who drive school busses usually have some medical issues, which mean medical tests every year.

Autonomous trucks are on there way.

In Pennsylvania somewhere in the mid 90's the school bus laws got restrictive in that religious and private schools that were using those 16 passenger Ford/Chevy/Dodge etc hotel type passenger vans to transport students on field trips etc. They were somehow exempt from public school transportation regulations. Then it all changes in the mid 90's. I believe there was a tragic accident somewhere in USA at the time that brought about a nationwide change. As usual at the time the state enacted new regulation but never adding funding to support it. The focus of some of the training even back in the mid 90's was the "Walk Around". In other words you needed to be more than just a driver, you needed to be able to identify a vehicle that had something wrong with it during a walk around inspection. You could not trust , hey they told me the bus was OK. You didn't necessarily need to be a auto mechanic. you did however need to identify the name and function of visible parts you could visualize during a "Walk Around". There was no official School Bus Driver school. Most training was done by local bus contractors hoping to find drivers to help them when they made contracts with local school districts to supply buses and drivers. Problem was most people that took the free course said, F this low pay pain in ass school bus stuff, i'm going use this free training to get my CDL Class B license and go work for a company driving truck.
The recent stress of the COVID Virus has placed a stress on many of these types of jobs that are more of an important part of the economy than previously realized. Or they did realize it but always managed to get by and find someone to do it. Apparently that formula is not going to work going forward.