Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) Adopts Modernized CDL Testing Statewide

Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) has completed the transition to Modernized Commercial Driver Testing -- an important enhancement to the commercial motor vehicle skills testing process which updates and modernizes the testing procedure.

Redesigned by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) and approved by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the result is a simpler and more effective skills testing process that best assesses an applicant's readiness to operate a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) safely.

"The commercial driver's test has been redesigned and streamlined with new national standards to make obtaining a CDL more efficient without lowering requirements and most importantly not compromising safety. Applicants are tested on real-world scenarios that all focus on safety critical items," commented Commissioner Angelique B. McClendon.

The Modernized CDL Skills Test remains in three parts: The Vehicle Inspection (VI), the Basic Control Skills (BCS) Test and Road Test. The VI and BCS were updated during the modernization process.

The new VI requires fewer items, and the applicants are allowed to use a checklist (provided in the "CDL Study Guide") for the order of inspection. The inspection focuses on knowledge and safety and contains items a driver would typically experience on the job. The Basic Control Skills (BCS) portion of the driving exam is conducted on a smaller footprint and tests applicants on: Forward Stop; Straight-Line Backing; Forward Offset Tracking and Reverse Offset Backing.

DDS has made great strides in recent years improving the process to get commercial drivers on the road safely and efficiently including the option to receive alerts by adding a digital CDL to your smartphone.

For complete commercial driver education, testing and issuance requirements, please visit the DDS website at https://dds.georgia.gov/, and also consider adding your Digital License & ID to your smartphone wallet.