Commercial Driver's License (CDL) Standards; Isuzu Motors America, Inc.'s Exemption Application

Summary: FMCSA announces its decision to approve Isuzu Motors America, Inc.'s (Isuzu) application for an exemption for 76 of its drivers to enable them to test-drive commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in the United States without a commercial driver's license (CDL) issued by one of the States. The Isuzu CMVs are prototypes that require testing under U.S. climatic conditions prior to being placed on the U.S. market. Each of these drivers holds a CDL issued in Japan, but lacks the U.S. residency necessary to obtain a CDL issued by one of the States of the United States. FMCSA believes the knowledge and skills testing and training program that drivers must undergo to obtain a Japanese CDL ensures that these drivers will achieve a level of safety that is equivalent to, or greater than, the level of safety achieved without the exemption.