Entry-Level Driver Training Rule Takes Effect as FMCSA Launches Training Provider Registry
Starting February 7, 2022, new CDL applicants had to complete federally prescribed training from a provider listed on FMCSA's registry.
On February 7, 2022, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's entry-level driver training (ELDT) regulations took effect, setting the first uniform federal minimum training standards for people seeking a commercial driver's license. The same day, FMCSA launched its Training Provider Registry, the online database at the center of the new system.
The ELDT requirements were mandated by the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21). As FreightWaves noted, the rule took effect after years of delay.
Who had to comply
According to FMCSA, the rules applied to anyone applying to:
- Obtain a Class A or Class B CDL for the first time
- Upgrade an existing Class B CDL to a Class A
- Obtain a school bus (S), passenger (P) or hazardous materials (H) endorsement for the first time
Those applicants had to complete the required training from a provider listed on the registry before taking the applicable skills test, or, for the hazmat endorsement, the knowledge test. State driver licensing agencies would check the registry to confirm that an applicant had completed training before administering the test.
The rule was not retroactive. Drivers who already held the relevant license or endorsement were not covered, even if it had lapsed. People holding a commercial learner's permit issued before February 7, 2022 were also exempt, as long as they obtained their CDL before the permit or a renewed permit expired.
What the training involved
The required curriculum combined theory instruction and behind-the-wheel training on a range and on public roads. FreightWaves reported that simulators could not be used to meet the behind-the-wheel requirement, and that the rule did not set a minimum number of behind-the-wheel hours, leaving proficiency to the instructor's judgment.
Training providers, including schools, motor carriers, government agencies and individuals, had to register and self-certify that they met federal requirements covering curricula, instructor qualifications, facilities and equipment.
"With an increasing number of people applying for CDLs over the past year, there has never been a more important time to implement minimum uniform training standards that ensure new drivers have both the knowledge and skills to operate safely," Jack Van Steenburg, FMCSA's executive director and chief safety officer, said in the agency's announcement.
What it means for drivers and fleets
For aspiring drivers, the practical first step became finding a provider on the registry at tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov. Training from an unregistered school would not satisfy the requirement.
Carriers that train drivers in-house had to register as training providers themselves and meet the instructor and recordkeeping requirements. FreightWaves reported that the rule required training records to be kept for at least three years. Fleets recruiting new drivers also needed to account for the training requirement in their hiring timelines.