Commercial Driver's License Standards: Application for Exemption; Volvo Trucks North America (Volvo)

Résumé

FMCSA announces that Volvo Trucks North America (Volvo) has applied for an exemption from the Federal requirement for a driver of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) to hold a commercial driver's license (CDL). Volvo requests that the exemption cover one Swedish field-test engineer who will test-drive CMVs for Volvo within the United States. The Volvo employee holds a valid Swedish CDL. Volvo states the exemption is needed to support a Volvo field test to meet future clean air standards, to test-drive Volvo prototype vehicles to verify results in "real world" environments, and, if necessary, to deliver the vehicles in the United States. Volvo believes the knowledge and skills tests and training program that Swedish drivers undergo to obtain a Swedish CDL ensures the exemption would provide a level of safety that is equivalent to, or greater than, the level of safety obtained by complying with the U.S. requirements for a CDL.