NEW RULES FOR 2017 : NEW DRIVER TRAINING STANDARDS & DRUG AND ALCOHOL RULES
FMCSA FINALLY ISSUES FINAL RULE ON DRIVER TRAINING STANDARDS
A very long-awaited final rule on national minimum training standards for entry-level applicants seeking to obtain a commercial driver ’ s license or certain endorsements was finally announced on December 7 , 2016 by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration . Covering 271 pages , the agency had been working on this rulemaking since 2007 , but efforts to advance such a rule date back to the 1980s . The effective date of the new rule is February 6 , 2017 and the compliance date is listed as February of 2020 .
The final rule does not include a requirement for 30 hours of behind-the-wheel training for new drivers , which had been included in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking ( NPRM ) that FMCSA issued in March of this year . That NPRM also called for a minimum of 10 hours of training on a “ driving range ” as well as an unspecified amount of time driving on public roads . FMCSA noted that the final rule retains “ many ” of the recommendations of a negotiated rulemaking committee which was comprised of some 25 industry stakeholders and agency representatives .
Per the final rule , applicants seeking a CDL will have to demonstrate proficiency in behind-the-wheel training on a course and on a public road , as well as knowledge training . But , there are no required minimum numbers of hours for either the knowledge or behind-the-wheel portions of any of the individual training curriculum . However , training providers must determine that each new CDL applicant demonstrates proficiency in all of the required elements of the training to successfully complete the program . In addition , the driver training must be obtained from an instructional program that meets qualification standards set forth in the final rule . FMCSA said it expects that “ many entities currently providing entry level driver training , including motor carriers , school districts , independent training schools , and individuals , will be eligible to provide training that complies with the new requirements .”
Mandatory , comprehensive training in all 50 states , the District of Columbia , and all U . S . territories would apply to the following individuals under the Final Rule : 1 ) First-time CDL applicants , including for Class-A and Class-B CDLs ; and 2 ) Current CDL
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