City Transit Takes the Wheel on In-House CDL Examinations
ALBUQUERQUE – ABQ RIDE is approved by the State of New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department’s Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) as a Non-Public Third-Party Commercial Driver’s License Testing Organization. Facilitating CDL exams is the final step in a 15-year vision to streamline the onboarding and training of new Motorcoach Operators, Vehicle Servicers, and Mechanics to be conducted in-house.
ABQ RIDE is the only City department without a CDL requirement upon hire and the first City department to be State certified for in-house exams. There are now 10 Third-Party Testers across the state in the Albuquerque, Farmington, Hobbs, Las Cruces, Roswell, and Tucumcari areas. ABQ RIDE’s first exam was administered on September 17, 2024.
“This initiative allows us to directly invest in the career development of new hires, helping them get their license efficiently and free of charge,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “Whether you’re riding the bus or wanting to drive one, we’re paving the way by increasing access to our transit system.”
Moving forward, all incoming hires will receive CDL training and testing through ABQ RIDE’s Training Division. The CDL exam consists of three written tests at MVD and a three-part test including vehicle inspection, skills, and a driving test by the two State-certified ABQ RIDE employees.
Streamlined training removes financial barriers for new hires by providing $5,000-$8,000 in value for CDL training and eliminating a $200 exam charge. In the past, trainees would have to pay up to $600 if they didn’t pass on the three allotted tests per calendar year.
“By owning this process, ABQ RIDE is lowering the barrier to entry for driver, servicer, and mechanic recruitment,” said Transit Director Leslie Keener. “We want our new employees to keep money in their pockets without unnecessary financial strain, especially if they haven’t worked in a few months.”
ABQ RIDE’s onboarding and training process is now faster and manages its own testing schedule. Typically, the timeline from the date of hire to when new hires are fully trained and certified is 120 days. As a Third-Party Tester, ABQ RIDE anticipates to shorten that timeline by nearly a month.
“ABQ RIDE now offers the whole training package,” said Training Division Manager Shaun Gibson, “Not only does our team want to inspire trainees to be their best, grow professionally, and take advantage of this career opportunity, we want to facilitate topnotch training that prepares our staff to safely navigate their roles in this department.”
“These efficiency improvements will get drivers on the road and mechanics in the shop faster,” said Transit Deputy Director Bobby Sisneros. “As soon as we recover from our staffing shortages, we are eager to bring back the remaining 1/3 of our service.”
For more information about working at ABQ RIDE or hiring incentives, visit ABQRIDE.com.