NASHVILLE, TN – The Tennessee Department of Safety (TDOS) terminated its agreement with Volunteer Training Center, effective June 21. The company will no longer administer commercial driver license (CDL) skills tests on the department's behalf, according to the TDOS.

TDOS has information indicating that Volunteer did not administer the skills test in accordance with the Rules and Regulations of the Tennessee Department of Safety, Division of Driver License Issuance. 

"This is simply a matter of public safety," said Department of Safety Commissioner Dave Mitchell. "Operating a commercial vehicle is a great responsibility, and we will do everything to make sure that Tennessee roads are safe for everyone who travels on them."

The termination of Volunteer's contract applies to all locations at which Volunteer Training Center is conducting third-party testing operations. On January 1 of this year, Volunteer signed a five-year contract with TDOS as a third-party tester organization. The contract expires December 31, 2013. Volunteer Training Center is one of 19 third-party testing organizations with agreements to administer commercial driver license skills test on behalf of the Tennessee Department of Safety.

The contract allows the Tennessee Department of Safety the right to immediately terminate the contract in the event the Third Party Tester fails to perform or fulfill its obligations in a timely or proper manner, or violates any terms of the contract. 

No certificates for third-party testing issued by Volunteer Training Center on or after June 21, 2009, will be accepted by the Department of Safety as proof that the holder has successfully passed a Tennessee Skills Test.

Volunteer, with offices in Murfreesboro and Chattanooga, remains the object of an ongoing criminal investigation by the Tennessee Highway Patrol Criminal Investigation Division (CID) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The Tennessee Department of Safety's mission is to ensure the safety and general welfare of the public. The department encompasses the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Office of Homeland Security, and Driver License Services. General areas of responsibility include law enforcement, safety education, motorist services, and terrorism prevention.