PAM Transport Seeks Five-Year CDL Supervision Exemption

PAM Transport has asked the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for a five-year exemption affecting certain commercial learner’s permit holders who have already passed the CDL skills test. TheTrucker.com reported October 29 that PAM wants those drivers to operate a commercial vehicle before their home state issues the physical CDL credential. The request could cover an estimated 500 to 700 new drivers each year.

Current federal rules require a qualified CDL holder to sit in the front passenger seat while a CLP holder drives. Under PAM’s proposal, a qualified CDL holder would remain aboard the vehicle but could sit elsewhere. Participants would need a valid CLP and regular driver’s license, proof that they passed the skills test, required endorsements, medical qualification and PAM’s own driver-qualification approval.

The official Federal Register notice confirms that this is only an application for exemption. FMCSA has not granted the request and must decide whether PAM’s plan would achieve safety equivalent to or greater than the existing requirement. Public comments are due November 27 under docket FMCSA-2026-3466. Passing the skills test alone does not authorize a CLP holder to use the proposed arrangement today.

CDL students should follow the supervision rules that currently apply and obtain their credential from the licensing state before assuming they may drive without a qualified front-seat supervisor. Carriers considering the request should review the notice, document comments with operational evidence and avoid treating a pending exemption as active authority. If FMCSA later grants relief, the final decision will define the eligible drivers, required documents, monitoring duties and effective dates. Until then, the existing federal supervision requirement remains the compliance baseline.