Some active duty and recently-discharged members of the military will be able to use their training and experience to get a Wisconsin commercial driver license (CDL).
Making the announcement today, Governor Scott Walker said the “even exchange” will allow veterans to get back into the civilian workforce quicker.
“Wisconsin has a historically strong and growing economy, and our small businesses are prospering and expanding,” he said. “However, our trucking industry, which is a key component to every industry in our state, is facing a serious shortage of drivers.”
The Wisconsin DMV set the transition process up quickly because of recent changes to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Military CDL training is considered “as good or better” than the training required by federal law. The Wisconsin DMV will waive CDL knowledge tests, current skills tests and fees for people who have certain types of military CDL training.
“Not only is this a great benefit for the veterans, who bring valuable experience and skills to our workforce, but Wisconsin businesses will gain by being able to quickly and easily recruit and hire trained and experienced drivers,” Walker said.
Dave Ross, Wisconsin Department of Transportation Secretary, said he hopes this policy change will help Wisconsin veterans find work.
“We are hopeful that the adoption of the knowledge test waiver, in addition to the current waiver of the skills test and licensing fee, will lead to more veterans moving into this line of work,” he said.
For additional information on how to transfer a military CDL to a Wisconsin CDL, including links to the necessary forms, please reference https://wisconsindot.gov/
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