FINAL RULE: Entry Level Driver Training Requirement Effective Feb. 7, 2022

The Entry Level Driver Training  rule will impact the process of obtaining a CDL. It may impact your internal policies and procedures for hiring employees.  Please familiarize yourself with this rule and how it might affect you. Please forward to anyone in your organization that would benefit.

On Wednesday the final rule for the extension of compliance date for entry-level driver training (ELDT) was published in the federal register. You can find the full text here: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2021-06-30/html/2021-13893.htm

Summary: Effective Date February 7, 2022

The ELDT final rule established minimum training standards for individuals applying for a Class A or Class B CDL for the first time; individuals upgrading their CDL to a Class B or Class A;  and those interested in other endorsements. The ELDT final rule also defined curriculum standards for theory and behind-the-wheel (BTW) instruction for Class A and B CDLs.  In addition, the ELDT final rule required that state drivers license agencies (SDLAs) verify ELDT completion before allowing the applicant to take a skills test for a Class A or Class B CDL.

The ELDT final rule also established the training provider registry (TPR), an online database which would allow ELDT providers to electronically register with FMCSA and certify that individual driver-trainees completed the required training. The rule set forth eligibility requirements for training providers to be listed on the TPR, including a certification, under penalty of perjury, that their training programs meet those requirements. The ELDT final rule, when fully implemented, will require training providers to register with the TPR, and thereafter electronically upload driver-specific ELDT information to the TPR, which FMCSA will then verify before transmitting to the SDLA. The process is designed to deliver a finished ``product'' (i.e., verified driver-specific ELDT information) to the end user, the SDLA, for their review prior to administering the CDL skills test or issuing the CDL credential.

The full ELDT requirements can be found here: https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=1&ty=HTML&h=L&mc=true&n=pt49.5.380#sp49.5.380.f