The Skill Performance Evaluation (SPE) program, administered by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), is designed for commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers who operate in interstate commerce and have physical impairments or missing limbs that may affect their ability to safely drive CMVs.
The SPE certification, pursuant to FMCSA regulation 49 CFR 391.49, allows drivers with missing or impaired limbs to drive CMVs across state lines if they have been fitted with the appropriate prosthetic device and can demonstrate their ability to safely operate the truck through on-and off-road activities. If a driver successfully completes the driving test and demonstrates the necessary skills, they will receive an SPE certificate. This certificate verifies that the driver has shown the capability to drive safely on the nation's highways, despite their physical impairment.
Drivers with physical impairments that impact their ability to safely operate CMVs, as determined by their medical examiners, or those with missing limbs (such as a hand, finger, arm, foot, or leg) are required to obtain SPE certificates. The FMCSA has issued over 3,000 SPE certificates to truck drivers who have demonstrated their ability to drive safely with physical impairments.
To obtain or renew an SPE certificate, CDL operators can contact the respective FMCSA SPE Service Centers. The locations and territories covered by each center are as follows:
- Eastern Service Center
- Location: Fallon Federal Building, 31 Hopkins Plaza, Suite 800, Baltimore, MD 21201
- Telephone: (443) 703-2240
- Territories covered: CT, DC, DE, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, PR, RI, VA VT, WV.
- Southern Service Center
- Location: 61 Forsyth St. SW, Suite 3M40 (Midrise), Atlanta, GA 30303
- Telephone: (404) 327-7400
- Territories covered: AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN.
- Midwestern Service Center
- Location: 4749 Lincoln Mall Drive, Suite 300A, Matteson, IL 60443
- Telephone: (708) 283-3577
- Territories covered: IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, OH, WI.
- Western Service Center
- Location: Golden Hills Office Centre, 12600 W. Colfax Ave. Suite B-300, Lakewood, CO 80215
- Telephone: (303) 407-2350
- Territories covered: AK, American Samoa, AZ, CA, CO, Guam, Hawaii, ID, Northern Mariana Islands, MT, ND, NM, NV, OR, SD, TX, UT, WA, WY.
For more information about the four FMCSA Service Centers, or the fifty-two FMCSA Field Offices, visit the FMCSA's official website at https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/mission/field-offices or call the FMCSA Information Line at (800) 832-5660.