OPINION: BAKER: Legislation passes to help address truck, school bus driver shortages

Nita Johnson, The Sentinel Echo, London, Ky.
·3 min read

May 9—Transportation issues go far beyond improving roads, building bridges, and assuring safety for drivers. They affect all aspects of the lives of Kentuckians. Whether it be moving goods or delivering children to and from school and adults to work and back, transportation is the cornerstone of quality of life.

The American Trucking Association's slogan is "Trucks Bring It," and there is a lot of truth to that statement. Consider how many goods and items you use daily or keep in your home were made possible by someone with a commercial driver's license (CDL) driving a tractor trailer. Now think about what happens when those trucks are parked because we do not have enough qualified drivers.

There are more than 28,000 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers working in our state today, making Kentucky employers among the top for those with CDLs. This makes sense since our commonwealth is within a day's drive of two-thirds of the nation. After all, our geographic location and seven interstate highways provide us with an enviable position for economic development in general and the trucking industry specifically.

Like many other industries, trucking has struggled to maintain a big enough workforce to meet demands. These are good paying jobs and pay has increased. That means we must identify ways to recruit new people to the career path and retain those who are already in it. One step we took this session brings our state in line with neighboring states. With the passage of HB 320, out-of-state applicants who have both an operator's driver's license and a commercial driver's instruction permit can take the CDL skills test for Kentucky. Kentuckians will not have to pay more. Their cost to take the CDL skills test will remain $50 with out-of-state applicants having a $150 cost, which is the same cost as surrounding states.

Of course, the workforce shortage has an impact on other areas of transportation, including one that effects our children. According to the Department of Education, almost 8,800 school bus drivers transport nearly 385,000 students to schools throughout our commonwealth. These men and women keep our children safe and play a major role in making education accessible. However, we hear from districts of all sizes that the workforce shortages they face includes school bus drivers. While districts offer bonuses and other incentives, the legislature looked for ways to eliminate unnecessary burdens on those who are already driving.

As with many workforce sectors plagued by shortages, we made a small change to statute aimed at eliminating an unnecessary burden. HB 13 simply lengthens the time between mandatory physicals for bus drivers from every 12 months to every two years. The change will also make Kentucky consistent with federal guidelines for a Commercial Driver's License (CDL) period for physical examinations. Bus drivers regularly faced wait times of up to three weeks, putting some out of commission and straining the system while they waited. Of course, the measure leaves room for a physical if a medical professional determines one is necessary.

HB 13 also allows an individual who is not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident but can show proof of legal residence and authorization to work in the United States to apply for a CDL.

I would like to hear from you regarding your interest in any of the issues before the Kentucky General Assembly, transportation or otherwise. Feel free to reach out here at home anytime or through the toll-free message line in Frankfort at 1-800-372-7181. If you would like to receive regular email updates on what is going on in Frankfort, feel free to send me a request via my legislative email at shane.baker@lrc.ky.gov. For more information, please visit the legislature's website at www.legislature.ky.gov.