On Monday, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) debuted an online database of registered driver training providers as new entry-level driver training standards go into effect.

As of February 7, 2022, the FMCSA’s Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) rule is currently in effect.

The ELDT rule establishes minimum requirements for entry-level driver training standards for training providers and CDL applicants.

The rule will apply to the applicants who want 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.

Under the new ELDT rule, applicants must obtain training from a provider listed on the FMCSA’s Training Provider Registry. This training must be completed before taking a CDL skills test or, if the driver is applying for the H endorsement, the knowledge test.

The FMCSA’s Training Provider Registry launched on Monday allows applicants to search for eligible driver training providers based on the type of training required, location, and provider name.

Please click here to access the Training Provider Registry.

There is NO minimum number of hours required for either behind-the-wheel training or knowledge training under the new rule. The ELDT rule only requires that “applicants seeking a CDL would be required to demonstrate proficiency in knowledge training and behind-the-wheel training on a driving range and on a public road, with training obtained from an instructional program that meets FMCSA standards.”

The rule is NOT retroactive, so individuals who were issued a CDL or an S, P, or H endorsement prior to February 7, 2022 are not required to complete training for the respective CDL or endorsement. Additionally, individuals who previously held a Class A or Class B CDL or a school bus (S), passenger (P), or hazardous materials (H) endorsement are not subject to EDLT regulations, even if the previously-issued license or endorsement is no longer valid.

The ELDT Final Rule was published in the Federal Register on December 7, 2016. The compliance date was pushed back from February 7, 2020, to February 7, 2022 in part to allow state drivers license agencies time to update their IT infrastructure, internal procedures, and budgeting allocation to properly record driver course completion information.

See the video below for additional information on the new ELDT rule.