FMCSA seeks to delay two provisions in final rule on CMV driver minimum training

Washington — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is seeking a two-year extension for the compliance date of two provisions in its final rule on minimum training requirements for entry-level commercial motor vehicle drivers, according to a proposed rule published in the July 18 Federal Register.

The final rule, which went into effect in June 2017, requires training providers to upload certification information into FMCSA’s Training Provider Registry. It also includes a provision for state driver licensing agencies to “receive driver-specific [entry-level driver training] information.”

Currently, those entities are to begin complying with the provisions Feb. 7.

Delaying the compliance date to Feb. 7, 2022, “would provide FMCSA additional time to complete development of the electronic interface that will receive and store ELDT certification information from training providers and transmit that information to the [state licensing agencies],” the proposed rule states. It also would allow state licensing agencies “sufficient time to modify their information technology systems and procedures, as necessary, to accommodate their receipt of driver-specific ELDT data from the TPR.”

Comments are due Aug. 19.

FMCSA developed the rule to establish minimum requirements for training first-time applicants for commercial driver’s licenses, drivers wanting to change their CDL classification, or drivers seeking first-time endorsements for hazardous materials or passenger or school bus operation.