By Dan Murphy
In the summer of 2018, Yonkers Rising wrote a story about how the last location in Yonkers, and in Westchester County to take a NYS DMV road test for a CDL license for a tractor trailer driver (18-wheeler) had closed. For years, the Cross County Shopping Center parking lot in Yonkers was used by the DMV to test for tractor trailer drivers , and while road tests for regular cars and drivers are still given at that location on Vrendenburgh Avenue, the owners of Cross County didn’t want the big trucks using their parking lot.Now, three and a half years later, and two years into the COVID pandemic, a supply chain shortage has gripped the country. Most of the supply chain backlog coverage has been on the west coast and the port of Los Angeles, where many goods come from China and Southeast Asia.
But the port of New York City has also experienced the same problem getting goods out on the road and into supermarkets, resulting in shortages. A lack of truck drivers to deliver goods has been a big reason for the backlog, with many older truck drivers retiring or not working during COVID. Some estimates have a shortage of 80,000 truck drivers on the East Coast.
Since the 2018 closure, DMV has opened a Tarrytown location for driver’s tests, but only for bus drivers and small trucks and cars, not for the tractor trailers that transport our goods across the county.
While its difficult to find people willing to become a tractor trailer driver, some believe that the third largest City in New York State should have a location to help those who want to work a good paying job.
“If we had a location in Yonkers, there would be 50 people taking the test,” said one business in the lower Westchester area that trains truck drivers. “Right now, the closest location is in Wappingers Falls, and the earliest date to get a test date is in April. A lot of people can’t get up to Dutchess County to take the test and we would have to drive the truck up there to have them take the test. It becomes difficult to impossible to get it done. The third largest City in New York should have a location to take a CDL test, especially during COVID.”
Possible locations in Yonkers include a city owned parking lot on Central Avenue by the Will Library and ball fields, a part of the MGM Casino at Yonkers Raceway parking lot, and part of the unused part of the Burger King parking lot on Central Avenue.
“One of the owners of these properties needs to step up. They need to understand that they are helping the residents of Yonkers and help the supply chain crisis, while giving a few hundred people a good paying job to raise a family,” said one truck driver exam operator.
Before a location can be found and agreed upon, NYS DMV needs to take the first step and agree to have its employees give CDL tests for tractor trailers in Yonkers again.
Westchester State Senator Shelley Mayer has been working to try and accomplish that goal. “I have just recently raised this issue again with the Commissioner of DMV and I am insistent that I get an answer. We have a shortage of CDL truck drivers as well as bus drivers. And while the government has made improvements in the process with testing, we continue to have a testing site in Yonkers. Interested drivers have to go to the Bronx or up to Wappingers. That is completely unacceptable. I’m sure we can find a space, but we need the DMV to work with us and then they can work with Mayor Spano to find a space. These are good paying jobs that provide a future, and we have shortages in supplies in our area,” said Sen. Mayer.
Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano is aware of the issue but is waiting for the State, and DMV to take the first step.
About 72% of goods transported in the U.S. are carried by truckers. But with high turnover rates and dwindling driver supply, the industry has reached a breaking point. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said his department will fund $32 million for states to improve the commercial driving license process.
NY Governor Kathy Hochul recently signed a law which allows persons under the age of twenty-one to obtain a Class A CDL for operation within state borders.
One truck driver operator said that because of the driver shortage, employers were paying $2500 a week for licensed truckers.
Another county resident wondered why someone in City, County or State government can’t find a suitable location on public land. “Why do they have to keep asking local businesses to put the truck drivers test site on their land. Can’t we find a place on city land in Yonkers, or on county land in Westchester? Cross County let DMV take their tests there for years but it’s not their responsibility to do so.”
We did receive the following communications from NYS DMV. “Due to federal regulations that changed the test site requirements, DMV has not been able to identify an appropriate site in Westchester County. We currently have a CDL Site in Tarrytown where we are allowed to conduct tests a few days per week for most CDL applicants. However, we cannot conduct CDL A (tractor trailer) tests there due to the size restriction of this location.
“The Governor recently announced the start of a process for third-party testing to expand access to CDL road tests and help address the need for more truck and bus drivers – more info here: https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-announces-plan-address-truck-and-bus-driver-shortage. It remains our priority to increase the number of sites, and we are currently working with the New York State Office of General Services (OGS) and other state agencies and authorities to find additional suitable locations in the Yonkers area,” stated NYS DMV.
