What is Entry-Level Driver Training?
Breaking Down the ELDT Mandate
The Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) mandate is a set of federal rules set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) that all truck driver training schools must follow. The FMCSA designed these rules to create a training baseline for all new drivers. ELDT applies to anyone seeking to:
- Obtain a Class A or B CDL
- Upgrade from a Class B CDL to a Class A CDL
- Add a School Bus (S), Passenger (P), or Hazardous Material (H) endorsement to their license
When did the ELDT Mandate Go into Place?
The ELDT mandate will go into effect on February 7th, 2022, meaning that anyone who received their Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP) on or after this date will be required to follow all ELDT mandate rules. Applicants who obtain their CDL before that date are not required to follow the ELDT mandate.
Why is an Entry-Level Driver Training Mandate Important?
The implementation of Entry-Level Driver Training ensured that all future drivers will have the same training. Nearly 3.7 million truck drivers operate in the United States. ELDT closes loopholes in the CDL training process by requiring all students to be trained at an authorized training provider, to make all future CDL drivers safer.
How ELDT Affects Students
Students can only obtain their CDL from an FMCSA-registered training provider. These training providers must follow the new rule changes to CDL training requirements. Students who do not go to an ELDT-compliant school after February 7th, 2022, will not be able to take the CDL Exam.
How ELDT Affects Schools
Once the ELDT Mandate went into effect, any training provider that wanted to continue offering driver training services needed to register and self-certify that they meet all FMSCA requirements.
Once a school like DriveCo submitted its registration and met all the above requirements, the FMCSA listed that school in the Training Provider Registry (TPR). At DriveCo, we had to make zero changes to our Professional Truck Driver Training Program to comply with the ELDT Mandate.
Resources
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA): The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is the government in charge of ensuring that schools follow the ELDT Mandate while also adjusting the rules to make the system as effective as possible.
Training Provider Registry (TPR): The FMCSA adds ELDT compliant schools to the Training Provider Registry, which is open to everyone who finds ELDT schools.
Commercial Vehicle Training Association (CVTA): The Commercial Vehicle Training Association (CVTA) is the largest association of commercial training programs in the United States and has strongly supported the ELDT Mandate for all its members. CVTA has a compliance program for members to ensure that when February 7th comes, all CVTA members are on the TPR.
Are you ready to get your Class A CDL? Fill out the form above or give us a call at (219) 247-6069 to get started in our ELDT compliant Class A CDL Training Program today!