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Entry-Level Driver Training Delayed Until 2022
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n February 4, the FMCSA issued an Interim Final Rule (IFR) , which delays the Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) regulation implementation until February 7, 2022. Comments are due by March 20, 2020. The agency issued this IFR to provide “additional time to complete development of the Training Provider Registry (TPR). The TPR will allow training providers to self-certify that they meet the training requirements and will provide the electronic interface that will receive and store entry-level driver training (ELDT) certification information from training providers and transmit that information to the State Driver Licensing Agencies (SDLAs). The extension also provides SDLAs with time to modify their information technology (IT) systems and procedures, as necessary, to accommodate their receipt of driver-specific ELDT data from the TPR. FMCSA is
delaying the entire ELDT final rule, as opposed to a partial delay as proposed, due to delays in implementation of the TPR that were not foreseen when the proposed rule was published.” This past July the FMCSA published a notice proposing a partial delay with the Entry-Level Driver Training Rule. As its reasoning, the Agency indicated that it could not complete development of the IT system necessary for the Training Provider Registry in time for the 2020 start date. The notice stated that, “despite the Agency's best efforts, due to IT development issues largely beyond its control . . . including changes in Department of Transportation (DOT) internal requirements for cloud-based IT systems, which added time to the development process . . . FMCSA cannot complete any portion of the TPR in time for February 2020. (Continued on page 3)