The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is amending its December 8, 2016, final rule, "Minimum Training Requirements for Entry-Level Commercial Motor Vehicle Operators" (ELDT final rule), by extending the compliance date for the rule from February 7, 2020, to February 7, 2022.

According to FMCSA, this action will provide the agency with additional time to complete development of the Training Provider Registry (TPR). The TPR will allow training providers to self-certify that they meet the training requirements and will provide the electronic interface that will receive and store entry-level driver training (ELDT) certification information from training providers and transmit that information to the State Driver Licensing Agencies (SDLAs).

The extension also provides SDLAs with time to modify their information technology systems and procedures, as necessary, to accommodate their receipt of driver-specific ELDT data from the TPR.

FMCSA said it is delaying the entire ELDT final rule, as opposed to a partial delay as proposed, due to delays in implementation of the TPR that were not foreseen when the proposed rule was published.

“This delay will provide regulatory relief to our small haulers,” Jim Riley, vice president of government affairs and general counsel for the National Waste & Recycling Association, told Waste360.

Related:FMCSA Specialist Breaks Down NWRA’s HOS Exemption

Read or download the Extension of Compliance Date for Entry-Level Driver Training here.