As certified Department of Transportation (DOT) third-party Class B Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) examiners, MCPASD Transportation Department employees Raye LaFave and Vicky Dohmeier can provide exams to community members as well as MCPASD employees.
In addition to offering Class B CDL exams to the community, the MCPASD Transportation Department provides free CDL Class B training to MCPASD employees interested in driving a school bus for the District.
Individuals can schedule an exam to obtain a Class B CDL by calling the MCPASD Transportation Department at 608-829-2365.
“We will work with people to schedule the exam on a day and time that works best for them,” LaFave said. “We schedule exams Monday through Friday. Exams need to be taken during daylight hours. A full CDL exam includes the vehicle inspection, basic controls skills, and road test, which must be completed on the same day.”
Transportation Manager Mike Hamstra said the fee for a full exam is $150. This includes all three portions of the exam: vehicle inspection, basic controls skills, and the road test.
In addition, MCPASD employees can call the MCPASD Transportation Department to schedule training.
“For MCPASD employees interested in getting their CDL to drive a school bus for us, there is no fee for the training or the test,” Hamstra said. “We provide that free of charge and, in fact, they get paid training.”
Hamstra said if MCPASD employees want to get their CDL for a purpose other than driving buses for the District, the Transportation Department does not have the resources to provide free training.
LaFave said MCPASD is always looking for more bus drivers.
“You can take the training even if you only want to drive buses part time, such as for sports teams or field trips,” LaFave said. “I have already provided exams for the Mount Horeb Area School District, the Monticello School District, and our school district. We can provide CDL Class B exams to anyone who wants to drive a school bus or city bus as well as straight trucks, sanitation trucks, dump trucks, cement trucks, etcetera.”
“I wanted to become an examiner because I am always looking for professional development within my department,” LaFave added. “Having been a driver and a trainer, becoming a DOT-certified third-party CDL examiner seemed like a great next step.”
LaFave and Dohmeier have a combined 30 years of experience driving buses for MCPASD, and providing training and exams allows them to share their expertise with the District and the community.