FMCSA Audits 101
Check out this good article from Brandon Wiseman – click here.
Entry Level Driver Training Program
The following is a brief overview of the Entry Level Driver Training program. For complete information click on the link below.
Interested in ELDT?
Select a scenario below to determine if you are required to complete entry-level driver training.
You must complete the required entry-level driver training for the class of CDL to which you are upgrading before you will be permitted to take the CDL skills test.
You are not required to complete entry-level driver training, as long as you obtain a CDL before the CLP, or renewed CLP, expires.
You must complete the required entry-level driver training for the endorsement(s) for which you are applying before you will be permitted to take the S or P skills test or H knowledge test.
You must complete the required entry-level driver training before you will be permitted to take the CDL skills test, the S or P skills test, or the H knowledge test.
You are not required to complete entry-level driver training to obtain a CDL, even if the previously-issued CDL has since lapsed.
You are not required to complete entry-level driver training for the previously-issued endorsement, even if it has since lapsed.
You must complete the required entry-level driver training before you will be permitted to take the CDL skills test.
What are the Entry-Level Driver Training regulations?
The ELDT regulations set the minimum Federal requirements for training that entry-level drivers must complete before being permitted to take certain commercial driver’s license (CDL) skills or knowledge tests on or after February 7, 2022.
Who is considered an entry-level driver? Individuals applying to:
- Obtain a Class A CDL or Class B CDL for the first time;
- Upgrade an existing Class B CDL to a Class A CDL;
- Obtain a school bus (S), passenger (P), or hazardous materials (H) endorsement for the first time.
- The ELDT requirements apply to individuals who obtain a commercial learner’s permit (CLP) on or after February 7, 2022.
- The ELDT regulations are not retroactive; individuals who were issued a CDL or an S, P, or H endorsement prior to February 7, 2022 are not required to complete training for the respective CDL or endorsement.
ELDT Exceptions
The ELDT regulations do not apply to individuals excepted from the CDL requirements under 49 CFR part 383.
This includes:
- Individuals applying under § 383.3(c), (d), or (h);
- Individuals applying for a restricted CDL under § 383.3(e) through (g);
- Military personnel who meet all requirements and conditions of § 383.77; or
- Individuals applying for a removal of a restriction in accordance with § 383.135(b)(7).
I think we already knew this… ELD Mandate and Accidents
Overedrive Staff
Study finds trucking accidents up after ELDs
On its way to publication in the Journal of Operations Management last year, a study by researchers at the University of Arkansas previously reported on in 2019 in Overdrive ended up highlighting a significant outcome of the electronic logging device mandate implemented fully in 2017-’18.
The mandate, the study concluded, did not result in any reduction of accidents. Its implementation correlated, rather, with an increase in both accidents and in recorded unsafe driving incidents, specifically speeding.
Researchers found that compliance with federal hours of service regulations has significantly improved since the ELD mandate took effect in December 2017, especially for small carriers and independent owner-operators the researchers viewed as most impacted by the mandate. Large carriers, researchers assumed, had been using ELDs or their predecessor, the automatic on-board recording device, long before the mandate.
Despite higher levels of hours of service compliance, researchers found that the number of accidents increased for most carriers after the ELD mandate took effect. That was especially true for independent owner-operators, who saw an 11.6% increase in accidents, and small fleets of between two and 20 trucks, with a 9% increase, the study found.
An analysis of unsafe driving violations for different sizes of carriers showed an increase compared to violations before the mandate took effect. This was true for all sizes of carriers, the researchers said, but the increases were greater for small- and medium-sized carriers who had not been using ELDs prior to the mandate.
“Our results indicate the electronic logging device mandate did not immediately achieve its goal of reducing accidents,” said Andrew Balthrop, research associate in the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas. “Drivers have reacted in ways the FMCSA has not fully anticipated, and these behaviors should be accounted for as the FMCSA revisits their hours-of-service policies.”
ince the mandate was handed down, FMCSA has responded in some measures to operators’ calls for hours of service flexibility by adding a 7/3 sleeper berth split in addition to the previously-allowed 8/2 split; adding the ability to pause the 14-hour on-duty clock for up to three hours a day via those split regs; and allowing drivers to take their 30-minute break in on-duty, non-driving status within the first eight hours of drive time rather than the first eight hours of on-duty time in off-duty status; and more.
The ELD mandate coincided with an increase in unsafe driving and speeding citations among truck drivers, and this likely caused an increase in accidents, Balthrop added. Researchers concluded that the stricter hours of service enforcement seems to have led more drivers to try to compress their routes into the time allotted.
Important Notice from FMCSA: 3G Sunset – Will It Affect your ELDs?
Final Reminder: Mobile carriers are sunsetting 3G. Have you checked to see if your ELD is affected?
As we shared via email on November 1, 2021 and November 19, 2021, mobile carriers are shutting down their 3G networks to make room for more advanced network services, including 5G. As a result, many older cell phones and other mobile devices will be unable to use data services.
Once a 3G network is no longer supported, it is highly unlikely that any ELDs that rely on that network will be able to meet the minimum requirements established by the ELD Technical Specifications, including recording all required data elements and transferring ELD output files.
Therefore, any ELD that requires 3G cellular connectivity to perform its functionality will no longer be in compliance with the technical specifications in the ELD rule after the 3G network it relies on is sunset. When in an area that does not support 3G, a 3G device will register a malfunction. In accordance with 49 CFR 395.34, the carrier has 8 days to get the malfunction resolved, in this case by replacement, unless an extension is granted.
The announced sunset dates are below.* These are dates for completing the shutdowns. Mobile carriers are planning to retire parts of their networks sooner.
- AT&T 3G: February 22, 2022
- Sprint 3G (T-Mobile): March 31, 2022
- Sprint LTE (T-Mobile): June 30, 2022
- T-Mobile 3G: July 1, 2022
- Verizon 3G: December 31, 2022
Note: Many other carriers, such as Cricket, Boost, Straight Talk, and several Lifeline mobile service providers, utilize the AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile networks.
*Sunset dates are subject to change. Contact your mobile carrier for up-to-date information.
What actions do motor carriers need to take?
Confirm whether your ELD relies on a 3G network
If you are unsure if your ELD relies on a 3G network, contact your ELD provider. If your ELD does not rely on 3G, and meets all minimum requirements, no further action is needed.
Ask your provider for their upgrade or replacement plan
If your ELD relies on a 3G network, ask your ELD provider about their plan for upgrading or replacing your device to one that will be supported after the 3G sunset, and to complete the necessary actions as soon as possible.
The earliest announced sunset completion date is February 22, 2022. See all announced dates listed above and plan accordingly to avoid service disruptions and compliance issues. FMCSA strongly encourages motor carriers to take the above actions as soon as possible to avoid compliance issues, as portions of carrier 3G networks will be unsupported in advance of the announced sunset dates.
Questions?
Contact ELD@dot.gov.
Will your ELD be Affected by the 3G Sunset?
Any ELD or telematics device that requires 3G cellular connectivity will cease to operate in 2022. An ELD that uses 3G to perform its functionality will no longer be in compliance with the technical specifications in the ELD rule after the 3G network it relies on is sunset. When in an area that does not support 3G, a 3G device will register a malfunction. In accordance with 49 CFR 395.34, the carrier has 8 days to get the malfunction resolved, in this case by replacement, unless an extension is granted.
The announced sunset dates are below. Mobile carriers are planning to retire parts of their networks sooner.
- AT&T 3G: February 22, 2022
- Sprint 3G (T-Mobile): March 31, 2022
- Sprint LTE (T-Mobile): June 30, 2022
- T-Mobile 3G: July 1, 2022
- Verizon 3G: December 31, 2022