Effective Jan. 30, 2012, all states will begin to include the Department of Transportation physical certification on the commercial driver motor vehicle report, according to the National School Transportation Association.
The new mandate means that every school bus driver with a commercial driver’s license (CDL) will be required to “self-certify.” After bus drivers complete a DOT physical, they will need to submit an original or copy of their current medical examiner’s certificate to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) either by mail, via fax or in person. If a school bus driver does not self-certify, his or her driving status will be downgraded from a CDL to a regular driver’s license. Drivers will also lose their endorsements and will not be able to operate a school bus, according to the Pennsylvania School Bus Association (PSBA).
PSBA noted in its recent newsletter that CDL holders “must retain paper copies of their drivers’ medical certificates in their driver qualification files. This action is being taken to ensure the medical qualifications of CDL holders until all states are able to post the medical self-certification and medical examiner’s certificate data on the Commercial Driver’s License Information System.”
As an employer, school district transportation departments should ensure that their CDL drivers have accurate and current addresses on file with the state Department of Transportation (DOT) because, if they are not current, the self-certification letter and form will not be forwarded. Managers also should alert their bus drivers to open all mail from the DOT and watch for any mail marked “urgent.”
Drivers that are applying for or renewing their CDL must have a copy of their medical examination certificate before going to the BMV or state driver licensing agency. Existing CDL holders must do the following in order to comply:
- When getting their DOT Physical certification updated, submit a copy of your medical certification card to the BMV or licensing agency;
- Select one of four “Certification Categories” at the BMV (Non-Excepted Interstate, Excepted Interstate, Non-Excepted Intrastate and Excepted Intrastate);
- Provide a copy of the medical certification card to the BMV every time you have a new DOT physical and return a copy to the location for your qualification file;
- Self-certify the type of commercial driving you perform and carefully follow all instructions on the certification forms.
Steps Taken by One State
When the PSBA recently learned of this mandate, its members met with the PennDOT, Pennsylvania Bus Association and PA Motor Truck Association to discuss the FCSMA requirements in detail. PennDOT informed these associations that they require legislative changes to the Vehicle Code in order to comply with the new federal requirement. Then, the PSBA contacted the state Senate and House Transportation Chairs to express the urgency of legislation. PennDOT plans to start sending letters out this month for those CDLs expiring June 2012 and June 2014.
