Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 5, 1992 TAG: 9203050103
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BEN BEAGLE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
It was nothing new, said Barker, an examiner for the state Department of Motor Vehicles. He said not keeping the appointment for a road test won't be held against the applicant.
There might be some reason to think the driver didn't show up on purpose. The appointment was to take a road test required of all commercial drivers.
Most who miss testing dates have good reasons - such as a truck that broke down, Barker said. One man's wife called and said he was in Wyoming.
Those who keep their dates don't have it easy.
They have to show and tell Barker 19 or so things about their trucks and then pass a 12-mile driving test on urban, rural and interstate roads. It takes an hour and a half. Locally, the tests are held at the United Parcel Service compound on Thirlane Road.
Drivers have to demonstrate they know some of the more familiar aspects of their vehicles, such as dipsticks to check the oil level and steering-fluid level.
They also must know things that most people who don't drive trucks wouldn't, such as how to check out the air brakes. And in this test, you lose the whole thing if you can't do air brakes right.
There was a time, Barker recalled, when all an applicant for a commercial driver's license had to do was say he or she had driven a truck for 500 miles.
That has changed greatly, and this is keeping examiner Barker in Roanoke and others all over the state busier and busier.
People who drive trucks rated for more than 26,000 pounds, school buses, passenger buses or trucks carrying hazardous materials must have the new licenses.
Although the law requiring the tests was passed in 1990, the federal government this year said all commercial drivers must have new licenses by March 31.
The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles and similar agencies in other states are trying to get drivers in early to avoid a crunch, Canada said.
Warnings went out in December, when the U.S. Transportation Department said a majority of 5 million drivers hadn't applied for new licenses. The department said Wednesday that 4 million of 5 million drivers nationwide now have the new licenses.
An estimated 150,000 commercial drivers were to apply for the licenses in Virginia. As of Feb. 24, the DMV said, 101,000 drivers had the new licenses.
The federal department said one of the reasons for the uniform date for new licenses is that some drivers have used multiple licenses to hide bad driving records.
In the past, officials said, drivers have had licenses in their home states as well as in other states.
If a violation occurred in one state, the computer check for violations would be made in that state only.
A driver might have several violations in another state, but that state's computers wouldn't be involved. Now, the new licenses will be registered in a national central computer that will record violations all over the country.
"Basically, we're down to the wire" on the tests, said Jerry Canada, manager of the DMV office on Peters Creek Road.
Weekend work is ahead in road testing - which is the last ordeal for truckers who already have been tested on their general knowledge of their vehicles. An eye test also is part of the examination.
If there is no "bad information" on an applicant's driving record, the road test can be forgotten. "Bad information" can range from speeding to driving under the influence.
Drivers with reading and writing difficulties can get help from local DMV offices and there is a statewide number to call, 1-800-223-8782, Canada said.
by CNB