Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT)

New drivers must comply with the Entry Level Driver Training (ELDT) regulations, which provide the minimum standards for their education and training. The Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) regulations, created in 49 CFR part 380 subpart F, define universal minimum training criteria for entry-level drivers seeking various commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) and CDL endorsements.

• For the first time, obtain a Class A or Class B CDL.
• Obtain a Class A CDL by upgrading your existing Class B CDL; or
• For the first time, get an approval for school bus (S), passenger (P), or hazardous materials (H).

Part 383 of the 49 CFR. This includes the following:

• Individuals making an application under 383.3(c), (d), or (h);
• Individuals seeking a restricted CDL under sections 383.3(e) through (g)
• Military personnel who meet all of 383.77’s requirements and circumstances; or
• Individuals requesting the removal of a limitation under 383.135(b) (7).

Entry-level drivers who are subject to the ELDT restrictions must obtain entry-level driver training from a training source licensed with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
For further information, refer to the FMCSA Training Provider Registry FAQ website at https://enasdrivingschool.com/faqs/

To find out if you need to take entry-level driver training, consult the chart below:

https://tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov/content/Resources/ELDT-Applicability-Factsheet PRINT-BW.pdf

Beginning February 7, 2022, applicants for the aforementioned CDLs and endorsements must have completed the training required by the ELDT regulations in order to sit for the requisite CDL road test or H endorsement knowledge test.

Before February 7, 2022, an applicant who obtains a commercial learner’s permit (CLP) is not required to undergo entry-level driver training in order to obtain a CDL, as long as the candidate earns a CDL before the CLP or extended CLP expires.

Congress first mandated the new ELDT in 2012, but the rulemaking process and IT concerns at the state and federal levels caused years of delay. We do not anticipate any additional delays until February 7.

The new ELDT simply means that everyone across the country will be following the same curriculum. In reality, the FMCSA believes that 85 percent of entry-level drivers are already receiving ELDT-compliant training programs.

The ELDT does not have any minimum training requirements or new unreasonable fees. Prospective truck drivers are not required to attend a truck driver training school and can obtain instruction from a variety of sources, including educational institutions, motor carriers, rural cooperatives, school districts, combined labor-management programs, CMV schools, and other locations. In other words, if a carrier performs in-house training now, they will be able to continue doing so once the new ELDT law takes effect.

Enas Driving School provides a variety of ELDT products to fulfill your needs:

• We provide entry-level driver training in accordance with the FMSCA’s guidelines.
• We will assess your present ELDT program and advise you on any changes that are required to comply with the ELDT requirement.
• To meet the FMCSA’s theoretical instruction standards, we offer ELDT training modules.