Academy helps ADOT employees get CDLs, improves safety

A new academy course created to help ADOT employees obtain a commercial driver license is improving compliance and safety. 

Certain ADOT employees in work groups such as maintenance, Incident Response Unit, signing and striping, and the Motor Vehicle Division are required to get a CDL within six months of their hiring date. 

The two-week academy, held quarterly in Phoenix, allows ADOT employees statewide to attend a structured course that provides administrative and operational instruction and hands-on learning with equipment from maintenance yards that prepares attendees for the CDL exam. Once employees complete the course, they go to a third-party examiner to take the test to be in compliance with ADOT policies and procedures. 

This safety and innovative initiative between Project Delivery and Operations, Equipment Services, Central District and MVD focused on bringing structure to training ADOT employees to ensure that all new-hires would receive the tools they need to build confidence on the job and be in compliance with state and federal law.  

In the past, training could be inconsistent across different groups due to lack of instructors or unclear standard of work. But the academy helps reduce those gaps and, ultimately, increase safety for employees and the motoring public. 

“If the ADOT employee does not have their CDL, they can’t operate vehicles, and that means we lose production because we have to make arrangements for someone with a CDL,” Traffic Group Manager David Blue said. “So, having everyone CDL-trained increases productivity, efficiency and effectiveness for ADOT work groups to deliver roadway services for Arizona constituents.”

So far, 28 individuals have gone through the academy since its first session in September 2025 with a 95% success rate. The next academy session is in July.