The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has granted a five-year exemption to Daimler Trucks North America, allowing six drivers with German commercial licenses to drive commercial vehicles in the U.S. without a U.S. commercial driver's license. This exemption helps the drivers test Daimler vehicles in real-world conditions to ensure product standards. The drivers must comply with specific safety conditions, including being accompanied by a U.S. CDL holder and undergoing a drug and alcohol testing program similar to U.S. requirements. The FMCSA believes this will maintain or enhance safety standards on U.S. roads.
Simple Explanation
The U.S. government is letting six special drivers from another country drive big trucks in the U.S. without a local driver's license to test how well the trucks work, but they have to follow some safety rules, just like U.S. drivers do.