How Does This Impact You?
This is a rare new regulation that won’t give truckers anything extra to do. Once the law switches over from paper certificates (which truckers must have on hand) to electronic ones, truckers won’t have to offer up the certificates in order to prove they deserve their license.
Instead, Certified Medical Examiners will be the ones required to submit any commercial vehicle driver medical exam results directly to the FMCSA, as well as the relevant state licensing agency. That whole process takes place through the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners — leaving the commercial truckers and motor carriers themselves free to do their job.
However, you should still make sure you keep your paper records on hand for at least a month or two after the regulation switches over in late June. You won’t want to be caught off guard in the event of an unexpected IT failure, since the online system will still be brand-new. There’s no reason to put your commercial driver’s license (CDL) in danger when you’re perfectly qualified to drive a truck.
