Changes to Entry-Level Driver Training

By Tod Browning

Overview

The new Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) rule goes into effect in February 2022 — and whether you train drivers or hire drivers from training programs, this change could impact your business. Regulations set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will include those applying to:

Obtain a Class A or Class B CDL for the first time;

Upgrade an existing Class B CDL to a Class A CDL; or

Obtain a school bus (S), passenger (P), or hazardous materials (H) endorsement or the first time.

Beginning on the February 7, 2022 compliance date, drivers seeking a Class A CDL, Class B CDL, or the S or P endorsement must successfully complete ELDT — both theory and behind-the-wheel (BTW) training — from a training provider listed on FMCSA’s new Training Provider Registry (TPR) before taking the CDL skills test(s). In the case of the H endorsement, the driver must successfully complete ELDT (theory only) prior to taking the state-administered knowledge test. The ELDT regulations are not retroactive; they do not apply to individuals holding a valid CLP/ CDL or an S, P, or H endorsement issued prior to February 7, 2022.

Training Provider Registry (TPR)

The Training Provider Registry (TPR) is a web system launching on February 7, 2022 that will help CDL applicants connect with qualified training providers to get the training they need. The TPR will retain a record of which CDL applicants have completed the new training and certification process outlined in the ELDT regulations, and that information will be relayed to the states to ensure compliance.

Training providers wishing to provide ELDT — including fleets, community will submit driver certification colleges, individual trainers, or information to FMCSA after a driver commercial entities — must register successfully completes training. and self-certify that they meet all FMCSA requirements. Drivers do not need to register for the TPR; only training providers will register and provide information to the registry. Training providers must submit the driver-trainee’s training certification information by midnight of the second business day after the driver-trainee completes the training.

According to FMCSA, here’s how the TPR will work:

Entry-level drivers will search for a training provider using the list on the TPR website.

Registered training providers will submit driver certification information to FMCSA after a driver successfully completes training.

States will verify a driver’s completion of required training using data made available by the TPR before administering relevant tests.

The State Level

FMCSA’s ELDT regulations establish minimum training standards for entry-level drivers and do not directly preempt state law. This means states can impose more stringent ELDT standards than those established at the federal level.

In Florida, the state-authorized Third Party Testers will verify that the applicant has completed the ELDT requirements for the CDL skills test that the applicant is wanting to take. The CDL skills test will be conducted, and test results provided to the state so that the CDL may be issued once all three parts of the CDL skills test have been passed. The Third Party Testers are not authorized to conduct a CDL skills test if the applicant has not been verified as completing the ELDT requirements. Any CDL skills test that is conducted and not authorized will not be a valid test.

For the hazardous material endorsement, the ELDT check will be conducted at the driver license or tax collector office that will be administering the knowledge exam. Applicants will not be allowed to take the knowledge exam unless the ELDT has been met.

To learn more about ELDT and the Training Provider Registry, visit: https://tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov.

Tod Browning is a CDL Coordinator at Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.