LOS ANGELES—The state Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) announced on Nov. 10 it will boost its capacity to administer commercial driving tests, hoping to alleviate the backlog of goods at the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports by increasing the number of truck drivers on the road.
The DMV will begin offering Saturday commercial driving test appointments at three more offices—in Fullerton, Montebello, and Winnetka.
The move will bring the overall number of Saturday test sites to 15, according to the DMV.
The agency is also training more staff to administer the test and redeploying examiners to areas with the greatest demand.
“There is a real need to increase the number of safe truck drivers in California to transport goods,” DMV Director Steve Gordon said in a statement. “Our goal is to give everyone who needs to take a test for a commercial driver’s license the opportunity to be tested within 30 days if they meet the requirements. Depending on the location, prospective commercial drivers can get an appointment for a test within a week.”
According to the DMV, the agency administers about 5,000 commercial driving tests each month statewide. With the new Saturday offices and redeployment of resources, the agency hopes to add another 4,700 appointments each month.
DMV officials noted that the highest demand for the tests is in the Los Angeles area.
