The Truckload Carriers Assn. (TCA) on June 27 it met with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Administrator (FMCSA) Annette Sandberg to address a provision in the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act (MCSIA) that prevents states from issuing commercial drivers licenses (CDLs) to nonresidents.

According to TCA, some states with truck driving schools issue CDLs to nonresidents despite the federal rule. Effective Sept. 30, 2005, states not in compliance with MCSIA by October 2006 will be scheduled for a loss of federal highway funds.

TCA expects states to comply, which will drive away potential truck drivers who attend out of state truck driving schools, and therefore reduce the number of school graduates.

TCA, along with the American Trucking Assns., has petitioned FMCSA to allow states to issue CDLs to qualified applicants with established citizenship in the U.S. or one of its territories.

“Administrator Sandberg stated that the agency’s current focus on the hours of service issue precludes immediate attention to this problem,” stated TCA in a news release. “She did add as well that the agency is required to formulate the regulations for the Real ID Act of 2005 . She stated that the FMCSA will address the…issue as part of the new regulations, and that it is anticipates that these regulations will be completed within the next year.”