FMCSA delays final rule for minimum training requirements

Washington – The effective date to establish minimum training requirements for entry-level commercial motor vehicle drivers has been delayed until May 22 at the earliest.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced the delay in the March 21 Federal Register. The final rule was published in the final weeks of the Obama administration. Since President Donald Trump took office, the rule’s original effective date of Feb. 6 has been pushed to March 21, and now to May 22, to “provide the opportunity for further review and consideration of this new regulation,” the notice states.

The final rule is intended to set minimum baselines for training first-time applicants for commercial driver’s licenses; drivers seeking to upgrade their CDL to another classification; and drivers seeking an endorsement for hazardous materials, or passenger or school bus operations for the first time. Student drivers seeking a CDL are required to show proficiency “in knowledge training and behind-the-wheel training on a driving range and on a public road.”