ELDT

The Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) is a set of minimum standards for commercial driver education that all training providers must follow. Once this mandate is in place, training providers will have to certify to the FMCSA that their training programs meet minimum standards to continue training commercial drivers.

ELDT training will comprise classroom (theory) education and skills training. Students will learn approximately thirty subjects within the classroom portion of the training and must score a minimum of eighty percent on a theory assessment to meet minimum program requirements. In addition, to qualify for the commercial driver’s license (CDL) exam, students will receive specified behind-the-wheel training and have a trainer’s endorsement stating that they are proficient in the CDL skills curriculum.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has set the ELDT standards on a federal level so that these rules will apply to all new drivers nationwide. Once the ELDT mandate is effective, many businesses can no longer train their drivers and instead will need to contract a driving school that is registered with the FMCSA.