New CDL Rules to take effect February 7th, 2022 – Are you ready?
As if the driver shortage wasn’t enough, if you know anyone that is thinking about getting a CDL license they might want to get it done now.
Compliance with the new Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) rule is quickly approaching. As of February 7, 2022, the education requirements will change for an individual who wants to:
- Obtain a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL);
- Upgrade a CDL; or
- Obtain a passenger, school bus or hazmat endorsement.
Also changing — the requirements for those who instruct these individuals.
Gone will be the days of obtaining a learner’s permit, driving with a CDL holder for as little as a few hours, and then taking the CDL road test. The process will become more detailed and will take more time than before.
Under the new requirements, an entry-level driver must, prior to taking the CDL test, successfully complete a prescribed program of theory and behind-the-wheel instruction provided by a school or other entity listed on FMCSA’s Training Provider Registry (TPR).
Is your entry-level truck driver training program ready for the new FMCSA requirements?
The Entry-Level Driver Training regulations are not retroactive; the entry-level driver training requirements do not apply to individuals holding a valid CDL or an S, P, or H endorsement issued prior to February 7, 2022.
Any individual who meets one of the exceptions for taking a skills test in 49 CFR Part 383 is also exempt from the Entry-Level-Driver Training requirements. Learn more about FMCSA’s CDL Program.