GOVERNMENT NEWS
Entry-Level Driver Training Regulations Require Minimum Training for CDL Applicants By Joshua Jones, Commercial Driver’s License Division, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation The final countdown is on to Feb. 7, 2022, the compliance date for the Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) regulations. Mandated by the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) and published in 2016, the ELDT regulations set a federal minimum standard for the required training of entry-level drivers. An entry-level driver is defined as an individual applying to: • Obtain a Class A or Class B commercial driver’s license (CDL) for the first time, • Upgrade a Class B to a Class A CDL, or • Obtain a school bus (S), passenger (P) or hazardous materials (H) endorsement for the first time. ELDT requirements will improve safety on our nation’s roads by: • Setting a national baseline for entry-level driver training to ensure drivers have the knowledge and skills they need to safely operate commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) on our nation’s roadways • Ensuring only drivers who have successfully completed the required training will receive a Class A or Class B CDL, or school bus, passenger or hazardous materials endorsement
The Training Provider Registry The ELDT Final Rule established a Training Provider Registry, which is an electronic database administered by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The Training Provider Registry will support FMCSA’s goal of ensuring only qualified drivers are behind the wheel of CMVs, by connecting entry-level drivers with eligible training providers that have registered with FMCSA and self-certified that they meet all requirements established by the ELDT regulations.
States Play a Critical Role in ELDT Beginning Feb. 7, 2022, state driver licensing agencies (SDLAs) must verify that CDL applicants subject to the ELDT regulations have successfully completed the required training before administering the Class A or Class B CDL skills or knowledge test for the H endorsement. SDLAs will verify this electronically, using their IT systems to access information stored in the Training Provider Registry.
An SDLA may issue a CDL to an individual who obtained a commercial learner’s permit (CLP) before Feb. 7, 2022, who has not completed entry-level driver training, as long as the individual obtains a CDL before the CLP or renewed CLP expires. The Training Provider Registry will only verify whether a driver has completed the federal minimum standard required by the ELDT regulations. It will not verify whether a driver has met any state or local requirements that exceed the minimum federal requirements. Mandating that entry-level drivers complete minimum federal training standards improves safety for all users of our nation’s roadways. State personnel, training providers and drivers should be aware of the approaching compliance date for this important safety initiative. If you have any questions about ELDT or the Training Provider Registry, please visit https:// tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov or email TPR@dot.gov. n
HOW DOES THE TRAINING PROVIDER REGISTRY SUPPORT ELDT?
• Requiring states to verify that a driver has completed the applicable entry-level driver training before administering the CDL skills or knowledge tests • Setting qualification standards for training providers and ELDT instructors • Providing drivers with the knowledge and experience they need to operate CMVs safely and meet their operational responsibilities
FOURTH QUARTER 2021
25
