Action
Notice of final disposition; grant of application for exemption.
Summary
FMCSA announces its decision to grant the exemption requested by the National School Transportation Association (NSTA) for commercial driver's license (CDL) applicants seeking a school bus endorsement, from the engine compartment portion of the pre-trip vehicle inspection skills testing requirement, known as the "under-the-hood" testing requirement. Drivers issued a CDL pursuant to the requested exemption would be restricted to the intrastate operation of school buses only. FMCSA also grants an exemption from the requirement that states administer this portion of the pre-trip vehicle inspection test in accordance with an FMCSA pre-approved examiner information manual. FMCSA analyzed the application and public comments and determined that granting the exemption is likely to achieve a level of safety equivalent to or greater than the level of safety that would be obtained in the absence of the exemption.