BACKGROUND

OBJECTIVE

 The objective of this project is to examine the positive and negative impacts of commercial licensing requirements for U.S. public transportation providers. This project should address the current CDL testing requirements and identify the key challenges public transportation agencies face. The public transportation services addressed in this project include publicly available fixed route and demand response services.

 TASKS

Task 1. Kick-off Meeting and Amplified Work Plan

The research team should prepare the Amplified Research Plan, responding to the Proposal Review Summary and hold a Kick-off meeting with the panel. The plans for the survey and interviews should be presented at the Kick-off Meeting (deliverables for Task 2 and 3).

Task 1 products include:

• Amplified Research Plan addressing comments from the panel.
• Kick-off meeting PowerPoint presentation.

 Task 2. Literature Review

The research team should conduct a literature review that addresses

• The positive and negative impacts of commercial licensing requirements for public transportation providers,

• The strengths and benefits of current vehicle operating licensing practices so that they can be built upon and replicated, and
• The challenges facing the public transportation agencies regarding vehicle operator licensing and possible strategies to address challenges.   

 In addition to published sources, the literature review should include research conducted by transit agencies, white papers, case studies, industry articles, and public presentations. The literature review should be supplemented by an exploration of effective industry practices, focusing on strategies transit agencies have employed to overcome CDL licensing challenges. The research team should review resources from adjacent sectors, such as the trucking industry, to uncover transferable lessons.

The results of the literature review should support the development of research instruments, such as the survey, agency interview guide, and focus group discussion guide.

Task 2 products include:

• Bibliography of research and articles for panel review (presented at kickoff meeting).
• Chapter or Appendix for the Interim Report summarizing literature review findings (submitted as part of interim report).

Task 3: National Survey

The research team should conduct a national survey of transit agency staff responsible for recruiting, hiring, and training of bus operators focusing on issues relevant to this research. The survey should gather insights from transit staff on benefits, impacts, and challenges of commercial licensing requirements for transit operators, including training personnel, human resources, and bus operations supervisors and managers. The panel must have the opportunity to review the survey instrument and distribution plan.

 Participant Recruitment. The research team should include a broad range of professionals who play a critical role in the recruitment, training, and support of transit operators.  Organizations such as APTA, TWC, and CTAA; union leaders; and other key stakeholders involved in transit workforce development should be contacted to find interested survey participants.

• Survey Content. The survey should address key topics, including training programs for entry-level operators; challenges related to CDL testing, and the processes for onboarding and supporting new operators; the differences in CDL requirements by state and the benefits and challenges these differences may bring; pre-employment requirements associated with CDL training and licensing; other factors that are directly or indirectly related to CDL licensing that may affect recruitment, hiring and training vehicle operators (e.g., requirements to pass physical exam, English language proficiency); and potential solutions to challenges related to CDL requirements and testing.
• Results. Survey results should be analyzed and summarized to present key findings and conclusions and present effective solutions that transit agencies have employed to reduce barriers in hiring entry-level operators. The survey results should be used to identify transit agencies willing to participate in further interviews later in the research.

Task 3 products include:

• Draft and final survey instrument (questionnaire) for panel review (presented at kickoff meeting).
• Survey distribution plan for panel review (presented at kickoff meeting).
• Chapter or Appendix for the Interim Report summarizing survey results and findings (submitted as part of interim report).

Task 4: Interviews and Case Studies

Following the national survey, the research team should select at least 12 transit agencies for interviews and case studies. These interviews should pursue insights regarding the benefits and challenges associated with CDL requirements and the recruitment and retention of transit operators. This task should address critical issues in greater depth, including specific nuances and variations among different groups, which may not emerge through the survey.  Some case studies should cover both fixed route and paratransit perspectives. The panel must have the opportunity to review the interview candidates and the interview guide and method.

 Transit Agency Recruitment. The research team should select at least 12 transit agencies with varying sizes (based on revenue hours, miles, or operator workforce size) and diverse geographic locations, including rural, urban, and suburban settings. The selected transit agencies should reflect a mix of challenges faced and include examples of transit agencies that have developed innovative solutions to reduce barriers related to CDL requirements.  Several people from each selected transit agency, representing different perspectives, should participate in each virtual interview.

• Interview Method The researchers should use a semi-structured interview guide that allow for a natural flow of dialogue. This interview style should use broad opening questions across each topic area followed up with more detailed probing questions. The interview guide should include a note-taking template to ensure consistency among notetakers, including questions and space to write notes.

 Task 4 products include:

• List of candidates recommended for interviews and interview guide and method.
• Chapter or Appendix for the Interim Report summarizing interview findings and the Case Study findings and conclusions (submitted as part of interim report).

Task 5: Interim Report and Panel Meeting

The research team should submit an interim report that presents the research approach and findings to date, a plan for completing the remaining tasks (in particular, the focus groups), and a detailed outline of the final deliverables.  Following panel review of the interim report a meeting should be held with the panel.  The panel meeting should ensure that the panel, TRB staff, and the research team are aligned on the study’s goals, methods, and deliverables.

 Task 5 Products include:

• Interim Report including chapters from tasks 2, 3, 4 as well as introduction and summary of findings for research to-date.
• Interim meeting PowerPoint presentation.
• Plan for completion of the research, in particular the focus groups and workshop.

Task 6: Focus Groups with Operators

The research team should conduct focus groups with recent hires who have completed CDL training/examines to learn about their experiences firsthand and gather their views on improving training curricula and identifying best practices and innovative approaches to better support aspiring transit operators. The research team could also aim to recruit recent departures from the agency’s training process, if possible, to understand the reasons why trainees were unable to complete training. The panel must have the opportunity to review the focus group plan.

 Recruitment for focus groups. The National Survey should be used, in part to determine whether agencies would be willing to assist in connecting with their recent hires and facilitating their participation in a focus group.

•  “Media toolkit” The research team should develop an outreach approach to recruit participants to join an open session for the focus group.
• Discussion guide. The research team should hold at least four focus groups, with each group comprising five to ten participants and lasting between 90 minutes and two hours, allowing ample time for in-depth discussion and feedback.  The research team should develop a guide featuring questions focused on operator experiences. This guide should be designed to facilitate meaningful conversations and gather valuable insights into the challenges, needs, and perspectives of the participants. The research team should summarize findings and conclusions.

·          Task 6 products include:

• Focus group discussion guide and media toolkit for focus group recruitment.
• Chapter or Appendix for the Final Report summarizing focus group findings and conclusions (submitted as part of final report).

Task 7: In-Person Workshop

The research team should hold an in-person workshop at a national or regional conference with transit agency staff involved in or responsible for CDL training, operator recruitment and operator retention. Potential regional and national conferences should be identified  and the research team should work with the panel to select the most appropriate conference to attend and hold an in-person workshop. The panel must have the opportunity to review the workshop plan.

 The workshop should be a facilitated conversation on the challenges and benefits of CDL licensing for transit agencies and potential vehicle operators. It should provide an opportunity to share ideas, best practices, and industry recommendations with practitioners for their feedback on feasibility and impact. The workshop should inform the research recommendations and effective practices section.

·          Task 7 products include:

·         In-person workshop plan and materials.

·         Chapter or Appendix for the Final Report summarizing workshop findings and conclusions (submitted as part of final report).Task 8: Draft Final Deliverables and Panel Meeting

The research team should prepare the draft final report and share it with the TCRP Program Officer for distribution to the panel via email for a four-week review period and plan a final virtual panel meeting. The final report should:

• Summarize the methods used to conduct the research.
• Present key findings of the benefits and impacts of CDL licensing on transit agency recruitment and retention of fixed route and paratransit operators.
• Describe effective practices for transit agencies to improve CDL licensing and CDL training completion.
• Present case studies that highlight challenges, barriers, and solutions to implementing successful and compliant CDL training programs.

·         .The research team should also prepare a draft of the technical memo titled “Implementation of Research Findings and Products” containing ideas for dissemination and moving research into practice. The research team should submit the two deliverables together.

 A final panel meeting may be held at the discretion of the panel.  This meeting may be held before or after the draft final deliverables have been submitted.

At the conclusion of this project the research team should submit all final deliverables and point-by-point responses to the panel’s comments to the draft final deliverables.

Task 8 products include:

·         Draft of Final Report.

·         Draft technical memo titled “Implementation of Research Findings and Products.”

·         Presentation materials for Panel Meeting.

Task 9: Final Deliverables

At the conclusion of this project the research team should submit all final deliverables and point-by-point responses to the panel’s comments of the draft final deliverables.

Task 9 products include:

• Final Report with point-by-point responses to panel comments.
• Final technical memo titled “Implementation of Research Findings and Products.”

·         Final slide deck that presents the research findings and conclusions that may be used in webinars.

All vehicle operators in the United States who operate vehicles designed with 16 or more seats (including the driver’s seat) are required to meet the training and licensing requirements established by the U.S. Commercial Vehicle Safety Act (1986) and acquire a commercial driver’s license (CDL). Public transportation operators' responsibilities differ from long-distance professional drivers, such as truck and tour bus drivers. Trained and licensed public transportation vehicle operators are required to safely negotiate mixed traffic at a reasonable speed, deal with unforeseen obstacles, assist riders (including people with disabilities), respond to inquiries and emergencies, and maintain order on buses. 

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is responsible for the CDL Program, which establishes national standards for training, testing, licensing, and disqualifying commercial drivers and ensures that only qualified drivers are eligible to receive and retain a CDL (FMCSA 2022). In February 2022, a new FMCSA requirement called Entry Level Driver Training (ELDT) went into effect, which sets a baseline training requirement for obtaining a CDL. CDL testing and licensing are administered by states, which must meet federal requirements and may add requirements, resulting in differences in testing and licensing requirements among states. 

Current FMCSA requirements for obtaining a CDL B license (i.e., the class of license required for vehicles larger than 26,001 lbs.), including ELDT, do not distinguish between the job requirements of truck drivers and public transportation vehicle operators; some job requirements for truck drivers may not be relevant to public transportation vehicle operators. 

The public transportation industry is currently facing the following challenges regarding vehicle operator licensing: 

• Public transportation agencies often pay to train new vehicle operators who leave their positions with transit agencies to become truck drivers with better salaries and benefits after they obtain their CDL.
• Some potential bus operators seek other full-time employment during the wait time for CDL-related training and testing. 
• Some trainees do not obtain a CDL because they do not pass elements of the physical exam.
• Some public transportation providers have difficulty attracting qualified trainers for CDL licensing of vehicle operators.
• Paratransit and rural transit services may acquire smaller vehicles to avoid CDL requirements to expand the pool of prospective vehicle operators; however, this may increase capital and operating costs.
• Other factors, including state-specific requirements, may limit the availability of public transportation vehicle operators, such as age (for interstate operators) and prior criminal record.

Research is needed to address these and other related matters affecting public transportation services in the United States. 

STATUS: The contract is active.