FMCSA & FAQs

FMSCA Contact Info

Direct person to contact:

Email:

Hearing Waiver Division
FMCSAhearingexemptions@dot.gov

(the application file has to be in PDF)

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590 (W64-224)
Main: 202 366-4001
Fax: 877-764-6920
9:00am-5:00 ET, M-F

Common Questions

FMSCA Contact Info

How can your CDL examiner communicate with you when you start the training and take a road test?
- Get a dry eraser board for your examiner to write down to tell you what to do and where to go.
- Make sure you and your examiner feel comfortable before and during the road test.
- Or discuss what to do before start the exam.
Hearing waiver cannot be used to drive a bus.
FMCSA Regulation #383.133 Test Method:
- Interpreters are prohibited during the administration of skills tests (Pre-Trip and Road Exam). Applicants must be able to understand and respond to verbal commands and instructions in English by a skills test examiner. Neither the applicant nor the examiner may communicate in a language other than English during the skills test
Cat Scale is a deaf friendly app to use for weigh paperwork.

Networks

TruckerNation.org is a one stop shop where truckers can become better educated, engaged and efficient in understanding relevant industry matters no matter age, race, gender, ethnicity, or affiliation.

Don Olds, an American Sign Language (ASL) CDL Instructor teaches students in Big Spring, Texas. To date, he had taught more than forty deaf students.

Autumn Daniel is a certified CDL instructor and an ASL interpreter at Amarillo College in Amarillo, Texas. Interpreted since 2014 and assisted a dozen of deaf truck driver students

Free site to practice the CDL test before going for the real thing

Apply online for hearing exemption application (Note: timeframe to get the waiver is 3-6 months)