The Commercial Vehicle Training Association (CVTA) recently said it supports the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) Entry-Level Driver Training regulation but finds the decision to delay individual certification "particularly problematic."
"We applaud the FMCSA for moving forward with the Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) regulation despite IT system implementation complications,” CVTA says. “By requiring drivers to demonstrate driving and knowledge proficiency, we believe this is a major step in advancing highway safety by ensuring training providers properly educate the next generation of commercial vehicle drivers.”
Unfortunately, the decision to delay the individual certification is problematic for enforcement and safety reasons. CVTA urges the FMCSA to consider establishing a database to accept individual certifications.
“We believe a temporary database should be established to allow an individual to print out a receipt that acknowledges their training while the FMCSA addresses its larger IT implementation issues,” CVTA says. “This solution would further align the regulation to the law passed by Congress in 2012.
“We stand ready to work with the FMCSA, lawmakers and other appropriate government and industry partners to ensure that ELDT lives up to its potential of enhancing commercial driver training.”
