FMCSA delays effective date for CMV driver minimum training standards

Washington – A final rule establishing national minimum training requirements for entry-level commercial motor vehicle drivers has been delayed until at least March 21.

The rule was set to go into effect Feb. 6 – about two months after the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration published it in the Federal Register. However, it has been pushed back until late March because of a directive from President Donald Trump to temporarily postpone certain regulations that have yet to take effect. The agency could delay the minimum training rule beyond March 21 if necessary.

FMCSA developed the rule to set minimum training standards for applicants seeking a commercial driver’s license; drivers seeking to upgrade their CDL to another classification; and drivers seeking an endorsement for hazardous materials, passenger or school bus operations for the first time. The rule states that drivers seeking a CDL will be required to show proficiency in knowledge training as well as behind-the-wheel training.

The delay “is necessary to give agency officials the opportunity for further review and consideration of this new regulation,” states a notice in the Feb. 1 Federal Register. The announcement claims that seeking public comment about the delay “would have been impractical” because of the timing of the measure.