FMCSA Entry-Level Driver Training Rules Reach Their Compliance Date
From February 7, 2022, new Class A and B CDL applicants and first-time S, P and H endorsement seekers had to train with a provider on FMCSA's Training Provider Registry.
In February 2022, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) entry-level driver training (ELDT) requirements reached their compliance date. From February 7, 2022, people seeking certain commercial driver's licenses (CDLs) and endorsements for the first time had to complete training from a provider listed on FMCSA's new Training Provider Registry before they could take the related tests.
The requirements came from a December 2016 final rule, which originally set a compliance date of February 7, 2020. FMCSA pushed that date back two years, a delay it made final in 2021, to give the agency time to finish building the registry and to let state driver licensing agencies update their systems to receive training data from it.
Who had to train
According to FMCSA's ELDT page as updated on February 8, 2022, the rules applied to anyone seeking 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 for the first time.
The rules were not retroactive. People issued a CDL or an S, P or H endorsement before February 7, 2022 did not need the training for that license or endorsement. An applicant who obtained a commercial learner's permit (CLP) before February 7, 2022 was also not covered, as long as the CDL was issued before the CLP or renewed CLP expired. Anyone who qualified for one of the skills-test exceptions in 49 CFR Part 383 was exempt as well.
What the training involved
The 2016 rule set core curricula for Class A and Class B CDLs and for the P, S and H endorsements. Most curricula were split into theory (knowledge) and behind-the-wheel segments, with the behind-the-wheel part covering both range and public-road driving.
There was no minimum number of hours for either segment. Instead, training providers had to cover every element of the theory curriculum, and trainees needed an overall score of at least 80 percent on the theory assessment. For behind-the-wheel training, trainees had to show the instructor they could perform each required skill proficiently before the provider could issue a certificate.
The Training Provider Registry
Schools, carriers and other entities that wanted to train entry-level drivers had to meet the rule's eligibility requirements and be listed on the Training Provider Registry. Providers attested that they met the requirements and had to supply documentation if FMCSA audited or investigated them.
When a trainee finished a course, the provider submitted the certification electronically through the registry. FMCSA then made that information available to state licensing agencies. Under the rule, states could give the CDL skills test for Class A or B or the P or S endorsement, or the knowledge test for the H endorsement, only after confirming the training record was in the driver's file.
The registry's home page let applicants check whether ELDT applied to them, search for registered providers by training type and location, and check their own training record.
Background
FMCSA said the ELDT regulations and the registry were mandated by the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21). The 2016 rule was based in part on consensus recommendations from the Entry-Level Driver Training Advisory Committee, a negotiated rulemaking committee that met in 2015.
Archive: this article describes rules and events as of February 2022. Regulations may have changed since, so check the current rule before relying on it.