New IL license classification could ease rural driver shortage 

New IL license classification could ease rural driver shortage 

A new driver’s license classification in Illinois could help ease the shortage of rural bus and truck drivers.

Rodney Knittle, associate director of transportation at Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB), says the new “J-52” designation would make a significant change for license holders…

“Currently a person can’t carry a bus driver CDL and a non CDL Class A license because the system really won’t allow them to do that.”  He says, “We’ve worked on the technology of that to allow that to happen on a license and so they’re actually gonna call it a J-52.”

He tells Brownfield it allows for more opportunities for drivers…

“I think that’d be great for rural communities, right?”  He says, “Where bus drivers are a shortage.

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