Today, in an effort to help alleviate the school bus driver shortage, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the Department of Education announced states would have the option (they may, but not are not required to) to waive the portion of the Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) skills test requiring school bus drivers identify the “under the hood” engine components. Under the agreement, all other written and road test requirements must be met. In addition, drivers receiving a CDL under this temporary waiver would be permitted to operate intrastate school buses only and would not be authorized to operate trucks, motorcoaches, or any other type of commercial motor vehicle requiring a CDL. The waiver, which became effective January 3, 2022, will expire on March 31, 2022.

The full waiver can be found here: https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration/commercial-drivers-license/waiver-certain-pre-trip-vehicle-inspection-skills-test