Director, Mike Rash

Professional Biography: Mike Rash

Director, S.M.G. Inc. Commercial Driver's License Operations incompassing, Interstate Commercial Driving School, and Crystal River CDL Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT). He is a recognized expert in the field & a FLHSMV Certified Examiner.

Mike Rash is a highly credentialed commercial driving educator, business administrator, and state-certified examiner with over three decades of experience in Florida’s transportation, dealership, and CDL testing industries. As the author and operational force behind Crystal River CDL ELDT, Interstate Commercial Driving School (ICDS), and SMG of Crystal River, Mike has dedicated his career to advancing driver safety, regulatory compliance, and transportation education.

Education and Early Career

A long-time resident of Citrus County, Mike graduated from Crystal River High School in 1980. He went on to earn his Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and Accounting from Saint Leo College in 1989.

In 1990, Mike brought his financial and administrative acumen to SMG Incorporated, where he managed all facets of the business, including accounts payable/receivable, payroll, heavy vehicle taxes, and business insurance. He became a State of Florida Notary Public in 1995 and later expanded his expertise into the automotive sales sector, managing operations, sales tax, and vehicle registrations for Citrus Avenue Auto Sales under a VI Used Car Dealership License starting in 1999.

CDL Testing and Compliance Expertise

Mike’s deep involvement in commercial driver testing began in the early 1990s. His milestones include:

• 1993: Designated as a Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) Third Party Administrator, ensuring facility (S.M.G. Inc.) and tester compliance.
• 2000: Achieved his FLHSMV Third Party Examiner Certification after completing a rigorous 150-hour Commercial Vehicle Driving training program at Withlacoochee Technical Institute.
• 2002: Served as a Member of the Commercial Vehicle Driving Program Advisory Committee at Withlacoochee Technical Institute.
• 2006–2008: Spearheaded the technological transition for testing in his district, mastering the Commercial Skills Test Information Management System (CSTIMS) and the FLHSMV Florida Paperless Waiver System (PWS).
• 2024: Completed a 30-hour Examiner Class Modernized Training Course at North Florida Technical College, updating visual inspection and basic control skills tests to meet the latest American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) criteria.

Leadership in Commercial Driving Education

Over the last 15 years, Mike has become a cornerstone of commercial driver education in Florida. Joining Interstate Commercial Driving School (ICDS) in 2011, he initially managed student registration, instructor certification with the FLHSMV, and annual compliance with the Florida Department of Education’s Commission for Independent Education (DOE-CIE).

With the federal shift in training standards, Mike took the helm of FMCSA Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) compliance in 2022, managing the Federal Training Provider Registry for ICDS. In 2025, through Rash Enterprises, Inc., he developed a "Train the Instructor" program focused on ELDT documentation and curriculum requirements.

Today, in 2026, Mike serves as the Director of Interstate Commercial Driving School and leads the FMCSA ELDT programs for Crystal River CDL ELDT. Through his meticulous oversight of applicant scheduling, federal compliance, and curriculum standards, Mike continues to place well-educated, well-versed, and highly competent commercial drivers onto America’s highways. He remains the primary point of contact for aspiring drivers ready to begin their careers in Florida, or anywhere in the United States for that matter!