FMCSA to issue two-year delay of new driver training rule

Written on: December 5, 2019 by ICM

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is set to announce a two-year delay to its Entry Level Driver Training (ELDT) Rule that was scheduled to go into effect Feb. 7, 2020.
The ELDT rule requires rigorous new training requirements for both CDL license applicants and current CDL holders seeking a license upgrade. The delay is due in part to state driving licensing authorities not yet aligning electronic database with FMCSA’s new nationwide online repository with unified CDL data, a lack of certified trainers and system glitches.
The new ELDT requirements will include an expanded and more difficult written theory (knowledge) test needing an 80% score to pass, and for the first time, behind-the-wheel practical skills tests for both new applicants and current CDL drivers seeking upgrades (on both private lot and public highway).
The final rule was mandated by Congress under the “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act” (MAP-21). For more info, visit: https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration/commercial-drivers-license/eldt.