The COVID-19 pandemic is causing a big time slowdown with the issuance of commercial driver's license learning permits, a critical step in becoming a fully fledged trucker driver.
Driving a vehicle that can haul up to 80,000 pounds, or 40 tons, requires a lot of skill and training but recently commercial driving schools are running into some road blocks.
THERE'S A TRAFFIC JAM...OF STUDENTS...TRYING TO GET THROUGH....THE PROCESS..BUT CAN'T.....BECAUSE OF COVID-19!LET'S GET TO.....13 INVESTIGATES REPORTER....JOE BARTELS...LIVE NEAR....LAKE MEAD AND THE 95...WITH THE DETAILS...JOE!IT TAKES A LOT OF SKILL...PRACTICE TO TAKE THE ROAD ANDDRIVE AN 80 THOUSAND POUNDVEHICLE...AND COVID-19..HAS CLOSED D-M-V OFFICES ACROSSTHE COUNTRY...INCLUDING HERE IN NEVADA...AND SHUT DOWN..A CRITICAL PROCESS...OF GETTING NEW COMMERICALDRIVERS BEHIND THE WHEEL!PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP/UNITEDSTATES "FROM THE MOMENT THEINVISIBLE ENEMY LANDED ON OURSHORES AMERICA'S 3.5 MILLIONTRUCKERS HAVE NEVER WAIVERED,AT ALL." THEY'VE BEENPRAISED BY THE PRESIDENT..AND THEY ARE TRULY HEROS BEHINDTHE WHEEL..DELIVERING WHEN WE NEEDED ITTHE MOST.BUT THERE'S A GROWING BACKUP...SOT: BRAD BALL PRESIDENT ROADMASTER DRIVERS SCHOOL :32 "WETRAIN STUDENTS TO BECOME SAFEPROFESSIONAL TRUCK DRIVERS." BRAD BALL..IS PRESIDENT OF ROADMASTERDRIVER'S SCHOOL..SINCE THE COVID-19 SHUTDOWN..ALL NEVADA...TRUCK DRIVINGSTUDENTS..OR THOSE SEEKING A COMMERICALDRIVER'S LICENSE..KNOWN SIMPLY AS A C-D-L..CAN'T GET THEIR LEARNER'SPERMIT!
SOT: BRAD BALLPRESIDENT ROAD MASTER DRIVERSSCHOOL 1:27 "THE STATE DRIVERSLICENSE AGENCIES HAVE IN SOMEBASIS THAT COMMERCIAL DRIVERSARE HAVING A HARD TIME ORCOMMERCIAL DRIVING STUDENTS AREHAVING A HARD TIME GETTING THEPERMITS THEY NEED." AUTHORITIES WITH NEVADA'SDEPARMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLESTELL 13 INVESTIGATES...THERE'S NO TIMEFRAME OFOPENING UP THE C-D-L PROCESS..AND THERE IS NO WORK-AROUNDFROM THE STATE'S PERSPECTIVE.STUDENTS..MUST HAVE A QUALIFIED DRIVERWITH THEM..
AT ALL TIMES..WHICH WOULD ALSO VIOLATE...SOCIAL DISTANCINGGUIDELINES...INSIDE THE CAB OFA BIG RIG.SOT: PAUL ENOS/NEVADA TRUCKINGASSOCATION "I ALSO REALLYAPPRECIATE EVERYTHING THE DMVHAS DONE SO FAR, IN TERMS OFTRYING TO ENSURE THA THE TRUCKSON THE ROAD CAN KEEP ROLLING,HE'S BEEN WORKING WITH NEVADAAUTHORITIES TO COME UP WITHSOLUTIONS..ALREADY..HE SAYS..THERE WAS A SHORTAGE OFTRUCKERS..
BEFORE COVID-19..AND NOW..THE VIRUS HAS STALLED..NEW DRIVERS FROM GETTING ON THEROAD...BRAD BALL PRESIDENT ROAD MASTERDRIVER'S SCHOOL 5:00 "MORE ANDCAREER."BALL..SAYS..HIS DRIVER'S SCHOOL..COULD ISSUE..LEARNER PERMITS..AND KEEP STUDENTS FROM BEINGIDLE..BUT 13 INVESTIGATES HASLEARNED..THE NEVADA DMV DOES NOT HAVEAND SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT..FOR THE DRIVER'S BEHIND THEWHEEL OF THESE 40TON VEHICLES!
THISCLOSURE..
ALSO IMPACTS..ANYONE WHO IS TRYING TO GET AREGULAR LEARNERS PERMIT..AND THERE'S NO TIME FRAME OFREOPENING..
FOR NOW.REPORTING LIVE JOE BARTELS 13ACTION NEWS.RIGHT NOW...A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO