Entry Level Driver Training

The ELDT regulations set the minimum Federal requirements for training that entry-level drivers must complete before being permitted to take certain commercial driver’s license (CDL) skills or knowledge tests on or after February 7, 2022. 

The ELDT regulations establish minimum training requirements for entry-level commercial motor vehicle (CMV) operators in interstate and intrastate commerce who are applying for:

• A Class A or Class B commercial driver’s license (CDL) for the first time;
• An upgrade of their CDL (e.g., a Class B CDL holder seeking a Class A CDL); or
• A hazardous materials (H), passenger (P), or school bus (S) endorsement for the first time.

The requirements do not apply to individuals holding a valid CDL or an H, P, or S endorsement issued prior to February 7, 2022. Individuals who obtained a commercial learner’s permit (CLP) before February 7, 2022 are not subject to ELDT requirements as long as they obtain a CDL before the expiration date of the CLP or renewed CLP.

The regulations fulfill a statutory requirement imposed on FMCSA by Congress under Section 32304 of the “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act” (MAP-21). The ELDT regulations are intended to enhance the safety of commercial motor vehicle (CMV) operations on our Nation’s highways by establishing more uniform requirements for both behind-the-wheel (BTW) and theory training, thereby resulting in more qualified CMV drivers.