NJ School Bus Drivers Can Skip Part Of License Test To Curb Shortage

NEW JERSEY — School districts across the state have been grappling with school bus driver shortages and now there may be some relief in sight.

New Jersey applicants trying to get a school bus driver's license will no longer be required to take the "under-the-hood" portion of the exam for a limited period of time, the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission announced.

All other components of the written and skills test will remain.

This limited, temporary waiver will take effect on Friday, Jan. 7, and continue through March 31.

"While we have done much at NJMVC to address the nationwide school bus driver shortage, implementing the federal waiver will help speed the CDL testing process and increase the pool of licensed school bus drivers in New Jersey,” said NJMVC Chief Administrator Sue Fulton. "This will allow New Jersey schools and school bus contractors to hire additional, licensed drivers who are needed to address the critical shortage to get students safely to school."

NJMVC's waiver follows a waiver issued earlier this week by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to alleviate a critical shortage of school bus drivers nationwide. The shortage has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

What does this mean for applicants?

School bus driver license applicants will still be required to pass all of the safety elements of the exam and skills test such as checking lights and safety bars before each trip.

The only portion of the exam that will be waived is the engine compartment component of the CDL skills test, which is the requirement for applicants to identify "under-the-hood" engine parts.

Who does this waiver apply to?

This three-month waiver is in effect for school bus driver applicants only, meaning those seeking commercial driver licenses with the School Bus (S) and Passenger (P) endorsements, along with the intrastate only (K) restriction.

Drivers receiving a CDL under this temporary waiver are not authorized to operate trucks, motorcoaches, or any other type of commercial motor vehicle requiring a CDL.

Other steps NJMVC has taken to mitigate the nationwide school bus driver shortage:

• Provided expedited CDL testing for school bus driver candidates by working with school bus operators, school districts, and driving schools.
• Reduced the number of required visits for testing, so that multiple CDL steps can be completed in a single visit, effectively shortening the time required for training.
• Offered weekly bulk CDL skills testing in coordination with a variety of driving schools and transportation providers.
• Prioritized issuance and renewal of CDLs to get – and keep – school bus and truck drivers on the road.
• Waived the requirement that Commercial Learner Permit (CLP) holders wait 14 days to take the CDL skills test through February 28, 2022.

Bus shortages around the nation

The school bus shortage has been felt locally in New Jersey and throughout the nation.

In Bridgewater, as a result of the bus driver shortage, the district said there may be days where particular routes are not staffed.

This means that on a given day, parents may need to pick up and drop off their children at school, said Bridgewater-Raritan Superintendent Dr. Robert Beers.

Woodbridge Schools also felt the effect after winter break when the district warned parents school buses would be late.

In one Maryland schools district, 90 of its bus routes were without drivers for Jan. 5.

Not school buses but in Florida, a public transportation company had to modify and cut bus service on four routes as a result of a severe shortage of bus drivers.

For more information on school bus driver requirements and NJMVC services, visit NJMVC.gov.

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