The Federal Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) regulations, which took effect in 2022, established new federal minimum standards for CDL training schools. However, the Department of Transportation is now taking action against schools that fail to meet these standards.
Schools providing entry level driver training for commercial drivers are under scrutiny by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Nearly 3,000 commercial driver’s license training providers have been removed from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Training Provider Registry.
Another 4,000 training providers were placed on notice due to potential noncompliance.
This is the first step in FMCSA’s review of the 16,000 training providers listed on the TPR to identify and remove noncompliant providers.
The Training Provider Registry lists all providers authorized to offer federally required Entry-Level Driver Training for CDL students.
CDL training providers are being removed from the registry due to:
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- Falsifying or manipulating training data
- Neglecting to meet required curriculum standards, facility conditions, or instructor qualifications
- Failing to maintain accurate, complete documentation or refusing to provide records during federal audits or investigations
Federal Entry Level Driver Training (ELDT) regulations were finalized in 2016 and went into effect in 2022. The ELDT rule set new federal minimum standards for CDL training schools, including those operated by motor carriers, as Heavy Duty Trucking reported in 2023.
Training providers that receive a notice of proposed removal have 30 days to respond to FMCSA and provide evidence of compliance to avoid removal from the registry. During this period, the provider’s name will be included on the TPR Proposed Removal List, and the provider must notify all current and scheduled driver-trainees of its proposed removal status.
Industry Associations Have Called for ELDT Scrutiny
In early November, the FMCSA announced it was stepping up enforcement against CDL mills and taking a closer look at entry-level driver training.
Currently, CDL schools self-certify that their training programs comply with federal Entry Level Driver Training standards. These providers are then listed in FMCSA’s Training Provider Registry.
In early October, the American Trucking associations sent a letter to Congress urging greater federal action to identify and remove noncompliant training providers from the registry and strengthen ELDT enforcement.
Driver training standards are on the research priorities list this year for ATA’s research arm, the American Transportation Research Institute.
And in April, the Commercial Vehicle Training Association and the National Association of Publicly Funded Truck Driving Schools submitted a joint letter to Secretary Duffy on the need for stronger enforcement of the Entry-Level Driver Training rule.
Industry Applauds DOT’s Driver Training Actions
The American Trucking Associations commended the Trump administration for its action.
“Training someone to operate an 80,000-pound vehicle is not a weekend hobby. It is a profession built on standards, discipline, and responsibility,” ATA President & CEO Chris Spear said in a news release.
“The Trump Administration has sent the right message: if you’re running a CDL mill or if you’re issuing certificates to anyone who can fog a mirror, you’re on notice.”
ATA has repeatedly called for stronger oversight and accountability to eliminate fraudulent or substandard CDL training providers that undermine roadway safety and public confidence.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association also weighed in.
“OOIDA has long warned that allowing CDL training providers to self-certify invites fraud into the trucking industry and puts road safety at risk for all motorists,” said Todd Spencer, OOIDA president, in a statement.
“When training standards are weak, or in some instances totally non-existent, drivers are unprepared, and everyone on the road pays the price. FMCSA’s crackdown on fraudulent CDL training providers is a necessary and overdue step to restore accountability to the ELDT [entry level driver training] system.”
Original article available @ truckinginfo.com
