Trucking Laws · Nationwide · October 28, 2026

PAM Asks FMCSA to Let Learner's Permit Truck Drivers Run Without a CDL Holder in the Front Seat

By Big Rig Daily Staff

Update, 4:53 a.m. PT Oct. 28, 2026: Added that PAM is asking for a five-year exemption, and a link to the Regulations.gov docket.

PAM Transport wants to join a growing list of carriers that can put newly tested truck drivers to work before they hold a CDL. PAM is asking for a five-year exemption, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration published its request in the Federal Register on Tuesday, Oct. 27, Land Line reported.

What the rule says and what PAM wants

Federal rules require a CDL holder to sit in the front seat while a commercial learner's permit holder drives on public roads. The exemptions apply to permit holders who have passed the CDL skills test but have not yet received the license from their home state, according to Land Line.

PAM, which is based in Tontitown, Arkansas, said the exemption would "allow the CLP holder to begin employment in a timelier manner, strengthen their newly acquired driving skills and participate in a revenue-generating trip back to their state of domicile to obtain their CDL documents." The Commercial Carrier Journal reported that PAM said a CDL holder would stay in the truck but not necessarily in the passenger seat, which matches the Federal Register notice. PAM estimates 500 to 700 permit holders a year would operate under the exemption.

Who already has one

Land Line counted seven carriers with active exemptions from the same rule, and reported that FMCSA granted a five-year exemption to Landair Transport on Sept. 1.

The debate

FMCSA received 10 comments on Landair's request: eight opposed, one in support and one neutral, according to Land Line. Opponents argue that large carriers use the exemption to run teams with the permit holder. The Truck Safety Coalition wrote that "all carriers should be willing and prepared to meet the cost that minimal safety compliance requires."

FMCSA has said permit holders who passed the skills test are eligible for a CDL without further training. In a September exemption decision, it wrote that if the permit holders had trained in their home state, "they could immediately obtain their CDL at the in-State SDLA and immediately begin driving a CMV without any on-board supervision," CCJ reported.

PAM said denial would create "financial hardships for already-trained drivers and the potential degradation of recently acquired driving skills," according to Land Line.

How to comment

Comments on PAM's request are due Nov. 27. They can be submitted at Regulations.gov under Docket No. FMCSA-2026-3466, according to the Federal Register notice.

Quick facts

• Request: A five-year exemption from 49 CFR 383.25(a)(1) for permit holders who passed the CDL skills test.
• PAM's estimate: 500 to 700 permit holders a year.
• Comments due: Nov. 27, 2026, Docket No. FMCSA-2026-3466.

Big Rig Daily has also covered FMCSA's hours-of-service exemption for railroad truck drivers and R.B. Stewart's request for a brake-light exemption. New truckers can start with the guide to how to get a CDL step by step, or browse trucking laws.

A question for readers

Should permit holders who passed the skills test be allowed to drive without a CDL holder beside them?

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