Section 1060.200  Commercial Driver's License, Endorsement, Accreditation

 

a)         Accreditation of the Program

Each commercial driver training school that desires to offer instruction to those individuals who wish to obtain a CDL, endorsement, or restriction must be accredited by the Secretary of State through the Department of Driver Services and listed on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's Training Provider Registry (TPR) (49 CFR 380.700 (2020) & 703 (2020)), on or after February 7, 2022, before instruction can be offered or advertised.

 

1)         Upon receipt of proper application for accreditation, the Secretary of State will investigate the program and verify the information contained in the application.  A Secretary of State employee will contact the applicant and make an appointment to inspect the school's facilities.  At the time of inspection, the Secretary of State employee must verify that the school meets the standards for CDL accreditation set forth in subsections (b) through (e) and all other applicable Sections within this Part.  These standards must be furnished to the school by the Secretary of State before the visit if the school requests them.  If all qualifications and standards are met, the school will be accredited to offer instruction on how to operate a vehicle with CDL, endorsement, or restriction classification.

 

2)         The accreditation of each school is renewable upon the expiration date of the school license, provided all qualifications and standards are met and the school has been in compliance with this Part.

 

3)         Only persons qualified under Section 1060.120 who already possess the applicable CDL, endorsement, or restriction classification may teach the behind-the-wheel portion of instruction.

 

b)         Required Facilities

 

1)         All CDL, endorsement, or restriction accredited schools must provide all classroom and vehicle facilities and equipment prescribed in IVC Chapter 6, Article IV and Section 1060.50. 

 

2)         Those who desire to provide instruction to persons who wish to obtain a CDL, endorsement, and/or restriction classified license must additionally provide a vehicle training area, owned or leased by the school. The area must:

 

A)        be a minimum of 27,000 square feet;

 

B)        be made of a solid surface and be able to accept paint, which includes but is not limited to concrete, asphalt, and crushed compacted limestone;

 

C)        have adequate lighting, approved by the Secretary of State, which is required for yard instruction to take place after dark; 

 

D)        have adequate parking space to accommodate all students when in the training area;

 

E)        be maintained and be free of disrepair, including, but not limited to, potholes and ruts; and

 

F)         contain restroom facilities if the school's main or branch location is not within 100 feet of the training facility.

 

c)         Required Course of Instruction

 

1)         CDL accredited driving schools must administer driving instruction course content that, at a minimum, corresponds to all applicable curricula in the appendices to 49 CFR 380 (2020).  Each CDL accredited driving school must provide a minimum of 160 hours of instruction in not less than a 4-week period to each student, as indicated in the curriculum. A student must complete the 160 hours of instruction within 9 months after starting instruction.

 

2)         The following training schedule shall be followed for each first-time CDL student over a minimum of 4 weeks:

 

A)        Classroom:  40 hours of classroom instruction.  This includes, but is not limited to, preparation for the Secretary of State's written examinations and all chapters of this curriculum.

 

B)        Range:  A minimum of 20 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction.  This requires one-on-one instruction with a properly licensed CDL instructor and vehicle on an approved vehicle training area.

 

C)        Over the Road:  A minimum of 20 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction on public streets and highways.  This requires one-on-one instruction with a properly licensed CDL instructor and vehicle.

 

D)        Observation:  20 hours of observation experience composed of behind-the-wheel range and over-the-road training.

 

E)        Remedial Training:  60 hours of additional classroom training, behind-the-wheel range, and over-the-road training based on each CDL student's specific needs.

 

3)         Instructional materials must be available and include a form of video delivery.

 

4)         A professional library containing an assortment of reference and textbooks, pamphlets, and other publications, including but not limited to the CDL Study Guide, must be available for the use of students and teachers.

 

5)         A brush-up course of instruction may be offered to individuals who currently hold or have held a CDL issued under the requirements of 49 CFR 383 (2021) or have certified theory or behind-the-wheel training completion posted on the TPR website.  The school must maintain records that verify students qualify for a brush-up course.  This course may be offered on an hourly basis.  No brush-up course may be offered to any individual who has never held a CDL.

 

6)         Classroom Instruction

 

A)        A listing of students enrolled in each course must be sent to the Secretary of State within 3 days after the first day of classroom instruction and in a manner prescribed by the Secretary of State.

 

B)        Classroom instruction must include, at a minimum, all applicable curricula set forth in the appendices to 49 CFR 380 (2021).  Schools may provide additional instruction on subject matter relating to the rules of the road as contained in the CDL Study Guide, safe driving practices, pedestrian safety, defensive driving techniques, behavioral characteristic of drivers, federal regulations relating to the Department of Transportation and CDL standards (49 CFR 383), vehicle insurance, the use of safety devices, the effects of alcohol and drugs on driving, and information on the human trafficking problem in Illinois.  [625 ILCS 5/11-216]

 

C)        Audio-visual materials may be used as a supplement to the teacher's presentation, but not as a replacement.

 

D)        Student progress is to be periodically evaluated.  Criteria for passing or failing the course is to be evident to the student, and successful completion clearly defined.

 

E)        Each student must be informed, prior to the time instruction begins, of the amount of all fees or charges made for enrollment or registration, tuition, use of equipment, or materials provided by the CDL, endorsement, or restriction accredited driver training program.

 

F)         Pre-Trip Instruction at the CDL yard is considered classroom instruction.

 

G)        A professional library containing and assortment of reference and textbooks, pamphlets, and other publications, including but not limited to the CDL Study Guide, shall be made available for the use of students and teachers.

 

7)         Behind the Wheel Instruction

 

A)        Behind-the-wheel instruction must not begin until the student is enrolled in a classroom program of CDL, endorsement and/or restriction classification driver training and obtains the required knowledge for the safe operation of a vehicle in traffic as provided in 49 CFR 383.110 through 121.

 

B)        When engaged in vehicle operation, a valid and properly classified instruction permit or driver's license must be in the student’s possession.

 

C)        Practice driving instruction must comply with the curriculum provided by the Office of the Secretary of State and include, but not be limited to, pre-trip inspection actual experience in starting, stopping, shifting, turning, backing, docking, parking, steering, and emergency situation procedures.

 

D)        A Class A CDL skills test for a tractor-trailer may be administered using a representative power unit with a multi-range transmission with no fewer than 9 forward gears, or an automatic transmission, and a representative trailer at least 48 feet long with a tandem axle.

 

8)         Student Ratio Per Course

 

A)        The total number of students enrolled in each CDL accredited driving school during any given period must not exceed 5 students for each currently licensed instructor.

 

B)        The total number of students enrolled in each CDL accredited driving school during any given period must not exceed 6 students for each currently registered CDL vehicle.

 

d)         Instructor Qualifications

 

1)         Each CDL, endorsement, or restriction accredited driver training school must have at least one instructor employed by the school who meets the standards of IVC Section 6-411.

 

2)         A CDL accredited instructor must comply with Sections 1060.120 and 1060.130, currently hold a valid CDL, and, preceding the date of application for an instructor’s license, must have held for any 2-year period a CDL of the same or higher class and with all endorsements necessary to operate the CMV for which training is to be provided.

 

3)         The CDL accredited instructor must pass an objective written instructor examination based upon the IVC, this Part, and the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986 (49 U.S.C. 2704).  The written examination will consist of 125 questions (90 multiple-choice and 35 true/false). The instructor must correctly answer 106 questions to pass.

 

4)         The CDL accredited instructor is authorized to give instruction only in the classification, endorsement, or restriction in which the instructor is licensed, except that an instructor may teach a lower classification than the CDL held by the instructor.

 

5)         The CDL accredited instructor must not be currently licensed as a CDL Third Party Certification Program Safety Officer.

 

e)         Student Instruction Records

 

1)         Records must be maintained by schools that document daily attendance, lesson time, and periodic evaluation of each student.  The dates and times of classroom instruction, pre-trip CDL yard classroom instruction, behind-the-wheel instruction, and observation time must also be recorded.  Students must be identified by their name, address, and other personal information.  A driver license number also must be entered on the student record.  The records must be on file in the office of the management for a period of 3 years.

 

2)         The driver school with a CDL, endorsement, or restriction accreditation must meet all requirements of Section 1060.60.

 

3)         The school and each student must maintain separate but identical logs of the student's behind-the-wheel instruction and observation time.  The logs must include the dates of instruction, type of instruction, student/instructor signatures, and odometer readings of the vehicles used for instruction.

 

4)         The CDL accredited driving school must submit the names of those students who have satisfactorily fulfilled the CDL accreditation course in a manner prescribed by the Secretary of State. 

 

f)         The Secretary of State will suspend, revoke, cancel or deny the license and/or accreditation of any driver training school or driver training instructor if the school or instructor fails to comply with this Part or 49 CFR 383.

 

g)         The Secretary of State may reduce the number of scheduled skills testing for CDL accredited schools that have a student failure rate of 45% or greater in the preceding 2 calendar months.

 

(Source:  Amended at 47 Ill. Reg. 3506, effective February 27, 2023)