A trainee learns the ins and outs of driving a vehicle for Casella Waste Systems. (Photo courtesy Casella Waste Systems, Inc.)
A new law that eases restrictions for veterans seeking their commercial driver’s license, along with additional CDL testing sites in New Hampshire, is geared toward lessening the national truck driver shortage, local officials and businesses say.
For years, New Hampshire trucking companies have seen the need for more drivers to keep up with demand, a rising economy and the ongoing effects of COVID.
Bedford-based Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast “typically always” has openings for CDL drivers, and cites employees’ needs for a better work-life balance as one reason for the openings, says Melissa Szymanowski, senior director of people and culture.
“Employees do not want to work 10+ hours a day and miss the opportunity to spend time with their family or attend a child’s school or sporting event,” Szymanowski says in an email.
Steve Harbert, safety director and hiring manager for Concord Coach Lines and its subsidiaries, Dartmouth Coach, headquartered in Lebanon, and Boston Express Bus, headquartered in Concord, says the company experienced a downturn in travelers for several months during the pandemic, and at one point furloughed staff.
“We, like other companies, struggled through the pandemic. We lost a lot of drivers,” Harbert says. But he adds the three companies are well staffed now and hoping to expand their offerings.
“We are not immune to what is being seen nationwide,” says Jeff Weld, vice president of communications for Casella Waste Systems, a solid waste, recycling and resources management services company that serves New Hampshire and surrounding states.
“Our commitment to our customers requires us to ensure that any challenges in the labor market are addressed before they become an issue for our customers,” Weld adds.
Casella CDL instructor Drew Baccei leads a group of students during a training session at Casella’s Kenneth A. Hier Sr. CDL Training Center in West Rutland, Vermont. (Photo courtesy Casella Waste Systems, Inc.)
Research groups have also noticed the trend.
According to the American Trucking Association, about 1.1 million truck drivers nationwide would need to be hired over the next 10 years to meet demand.
Abbigail Huffman, a research analyst with ATRI, a nonprofit that tracks industry trends, says recent fuel prices and the economy are among the top issues fueling the need for more truck drivers. ATRI’s research also found that in 2022, about 5.7% of New Hampshire employees worked in the trucking industry.
Veterans in particular, depending on their experience in the military operating heavy machinery, can be ideal candidates to begin a career as a commercial truck driver.
Local legislators, aware that commercial truck drivers are in high demand, have taken steps to remove some of the red tape for veterans who are seeking their CDL.
The Veteran Improvement Commercial Driver License Act, signed into law in October, removes the two-year wait time for veterans to access their GI Bill funds to pay for CDL training at DMV sites that are less than two years old.
NH U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, a member of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, worked on the bipartisan legislation, which was introduced by former U.S. Sen. Jon Tester.
“Removing an arbitrary two-year wait for veterans to use their GI benefits to obtain a commercial driving license is common sense,” says Pappas in a recent press release.
Among the organizations that endorsed the act were the Commercial Vehicle Training Association and American Trucking Association, and veteran service organizations including American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Moving Veterans Forward.
A Concord Coach Lines trainee learns how to maneuver a motor coach through a cone course. (Photo courtesy Concord Coach Lines)
It may take a while before results are felt from the new law, but according to Collin Gately, who works in Pappas’ office, removing the wait time may encourage training sites to open new branches so that veterans can use their benefits sooner and possibly contribute to the commercial driver shortage.
“It also helps address the critical workforce shortage impacting the trucking industry. More highly trained truckers on the road means that goods can get across the country faster, ultimately lowering costs for consumers and businesses alike,” Gately says.
In New Hampshire, each original commercial driver’s license and exam or renewal costs $60, while each CDL re-exam in a one-year period costs $20.
The new law takes effect as the New Hampshire DMV has opened several new CDL training sites and updated others.
Since then, new CDL testing sites have recently been established in Epping and Lebanon.
NH Division of Motor Vehicles Director John Marasco says expanding CDL training options, updating testing facilities and filling more examiner positions has been a high priority since his tenure began.
“From the minute I arrived here, CDL and commercial driving as an industry was really at the forefront. It was something that required a great deal of urgency to see what we could do to support the industry and have more people get into the commercial vehicle realm,” Marasco says.
According to Marasco, the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, a best practices organization, recently modernized two requirements of the CDL test — the pre-trip and skills portions — so the NH DMV has responded by updating their testing capabilities.
For example, Marasco says the DMV updated Lebanon testing site, working with the Department of Transportation over the last couple of months on the project. The DMV also recently acquired its first mobile DMV station where officials will be able to issue CDLs throughout the state.
The DMV also plans to open a location in Bethlehem, where the New Hampshire Fire Academy has a training facility, which is expected to be completed this year, Marasco says.
Representatives from Dartmouth Coach/Concord Coach Lines; Butler Bus; and NH DMV Director of Safety John Marasco and NH DMV CDL examiners gather for a photo at the NH DMV’s CDL testing range in Lebanon on Oct. 24, 2024. (Photo courtesy DMV)
Ashley Gray, a licensing administrator, oversees CDL examiners at the New Hampshire DMV.
“Just for last fiscal year for example, we issued just under 2,000 CDLs for new drivers. So we are pretty busy,” Gray says.
Gray mentioned the new Lebanon testing location has been well received.
“We’re already filling that location. So the response has been great,” Gray says.
“I know there have been veterans who are trying to get into the CDL world, so I think by having this act, that allows them to use their GI Bill benefits sooner. That can only lead to positive change,” adds Gray, a veteran who served in the Air Force for 11 years.
Other CDL testing sites operated by the DMV include Concord, Durham, Nashua and Twin Mountain.
Casella, Concord Coach Lines and Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast all offer their employees an in-house CDL testing program paid for by the company.
A commercial driver’s license, or CDL, is required to operate a vehicle with a gross weight of 26,001 pounds or more, to transport hazardous materials, or carry more than 16 passengers. There are many federal requirements involved in getting a CDL, which comprises three classes: A, B and C.
According to the Commercial Driver’s License Manual provided by the NH Department of Motor Vehicles, a Class A CDL license, the most common, often includes truck-tractors or semi-trailers, or a combination of truck and trailer. According to the manual, the most skill and knowledge is required to operate a Class A CDL.
