FMCSA FINALLY RELEASES ENTRY-LEVEL DRIVER TRAINING RULE

The Heavily Anticipated Rule is FINALLY Here

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) entry-level driver training rule has, at last, become effective as of June 5th after five months of delays.

The compliance date remains February 7, 2020.

The rule was supposed to have been effective earlier this year but was delayed after President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Jan. 20 that called for a freeze on, and a review of, all regulations published in the Federal Register but not yet in effect.

The rule sets minimum training standards for certain individuals applying for: a commercial driver’s license (CDL) for the first time; a hazardous materials, passenger, or school bus endorsement for the first time; or an upgrade to their current CDL. It outlines a core curriculum broken down into two categories: class time and driving time.

There is no minimum number of hours in the final rule for the theory or behind-the-wheel portions of the curricula, but trainees must demonstrate proficiency.

For the class time portion, trainees must achieve a score of at least 80 percent on a theory assessment.

For the behind-the-wheel portion, training providers must certify that trainees demonstrated proficiency in a range of skills.

The rule also establishes a registry of FMCSA-approved trainers from whom CDL applicants must receive training.

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