FMCSA releases final new truck driver licensing rules

The U.S. Transportation Department’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s final rule requires commercial driver’s license applicants to demonstrate proficiency in knowledge and behind-the-wheel training, FMCSA said in a statement.    The U.S. Transportation Department’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) on Wednesday released its final rule to establish national minimum training standards for entry-level commercial truck drivers.
   “The standards established in today’s rule address the knowledge and skills necessary for the safe operation of commercial motor vehicles and also establish minimum qualifications for entities and individuals who provide entry-level driver training,” FMCSA said.
   The agency also said the new rules should enhance truck safety on the road and promote driver efficiency.
   The rulemaking was mandated by Congress in the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21). FMCSA said the rulemaking contains many of the recommendations made by a committee comprised of 25 stakeholders and agency representatives.
   Under the new rules, CDL applicants are required to demonstrate proficiency in knowledge and behind-the-wheel training on a driving range and on a public road, with training obtained from a program that meets FMCSA standards.
   The agency said it expects that many of the current entry-level driver training programs “will be eligible to provide training that complies with the new requirements.”
   Drivers who are not subject to or exempted from federal CDL requirements are not subject to this final rule. They include, for example, military drivers, farmers and firefighters.
   The FMCSA’s new entry-level driver training rule takes effect Feb. 6, 2017, with a compliance date of February 2020.