Before we begin…
In a flurry of proposed rules, final rules, amendments to the final rule, effective dates, compliance dates, and then an extension of the compliance date, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) within the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), mandated entry-level driver training (ELDT) for certain drivers seeking a new or updated commercial driver’s license (CDL) or those seeking certain endorsements to their CDL for the first time. Read: Minimum Training Requirements for Entry-Level Commercial Motor Vehicle Operators – Entry-Level Driver Training
As part of this new rule FMCSA created a training provider registry (TPR) to both identify trainers eligible to provide ELDT and to track the certification of drivers once ELDT is completed. FMCSA’s TPR
Applicable regulations are at 49 CFR 380, subpart G
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Daniels Training Services, Inc. 815.821.1550 |
What are the instructor qualifications?
Theory training providers must utilize instructors that meet one of the following qualifications as defined at §380.605:
- Instructor holds a CDL of the same (or higher) class and with all endorsements necessary to operate the CMV for which training is to be provided; and,
- Instructor has at least 2 years of experience driving a CMV requiring a CDL of the same (or higher) class and/or the same endorsement and meets all applicable State qualification requirements for CMV instructors.
Or…
- Instructor holds a CDL of the same (or higher) class and with all endorsements necessary to operate the CMV for which training is to be provided; and,
- Instructor has at least 2 years of experience as a BTW CMV instructor and meets all applicable State qualification requirements for CMV instructors.
However…
- An instructor is not required to hold a CDL of the same (or higher) class and with all endorsements necessary to operate the CMV for which training is to be provided, if the instructor previously held a CDL of the same (or higher) class and complies with all other requirements described above.
- Training providers offering online content exclusively are not required to meet State qualification requirements for theory instructors.
And…
- If an instructor’s CDL has been cancelled, suspended, or revoked due to any of the disqualifying offenses identified in §383.51, the instructor is prohibited from engaging in theory instruction for 2 years following the date his or her CDL is reinstated.
Behind the wheel (BTW) training providers must utilize instructors that meet one of the following qualifications as defined at §380.605.
- Instructor holds a CDL of the same (or higher) class and with all endorsements necessary to operate the CMV for which training is to be provided; and,
- Instructor has at least 2 years of experience driving a CMV requiring a CDL of the same or higher class and/or the same endorsement and meets all applicable State qualification requirements for CMV instructors.
Or…
- Instructor holds a CDL of the same (or higher) class and with all endorsements necessary to operate the CMV for which training is to be provided; and,
- Instructor has at least 2 years of experience as a BTW CMV instructor and meets all applicable State qualification requirements for CMV instructors.
However…
- A BTW instructor who provides training solely on a range which is not a public road is not required to hold a CDL of the same (or higher) class and with all endorsements necessary to operate the CMV for which training is to be provided, as long as the instructor previously held a CDL of the same (or higher) class and with all endorsements necessary to operate the CMV for which training is to be provided, and complies with the other requirements described above.
And…
- If an instructor’s CDL has been cancelled, suspended, or revoked due to any of the disqualifying offenses identified in §383.51, the instructor is prohibited from engaging in BTW instruction for 2 years following the date his or her CDL is reinstated.
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Contact me the next time your USDOT HazMat Employee, training is due to expire. |
Conclusion:
If you’ve read this far you are likely interested in being an instructor of ELDT. (Training providers that wish to provide the ELDT required after February 07, 2022 must register with FMCSA in order to receive their unique TPR number.)
ELDT training isn’t for me. I will continue to provide the training required by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) within USDOT, for any person with a direct affect on the safe transportation of hazardous materials (HazMat): HazMat Employee Training and, if necessary, HazMat Driver Training. This training requirement applies regardless of the applicability of the ELDT.
For more Information:
- To learn more about ELDT
- For more information about the FMCSA’s Training Provider Registry.
- Interested parties may sign up to receive news and updates from FMCSA about the TPR and the new requirements for CDL applicants, training providers, and State Driver Licensing Agencies (SDLAs).
- States, or their third-party vendors, will need to modify their IT systems to retrieve data from the TPR. Training providers will also have the option to set up an interface to send data to the TPR web service. FMCSA will provide materials and information needed to meet the technical requirements for these web interfaces.
- Contact FMCSA’s Office of Policy: FMCSA / Office of Policy (MC-P) / 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE / Washington, DC 20590 / 202.366.2551