Driver Training Rule Again Delayed by Trump Order

President Donald Trump addresses the crowd at a rally marking his 100th day in office. Trump’s memo directing federal agencies to reassess regulations has again had an effect on the FMCSA’s Driver Training Rule.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will delay, yet again, the Minimum Training Requirements for Entry-level Commercial Vehicle Operators, a rule which establishes minimum training standards for new truck drivers.

The notice, originally published Dec. 8, 2016, was pushed back to March 21 because of President Donald Trump’s memo directing federal agencies to reassess regulations. Even though the notice was published before Trump took office, it did not legally take effect by the time Trump issued his memo.

After being pushed back to March 21, the notice was again delayed to May 22 and was scheduled to be published Tuesday. It has now been pushed back to June 5, some five months beyond the rule’s original effective day of Feb. 6.

While the rule has been delayed three time thus far, the compliance day of Feb. 7, 2020, does not appear to have been affected.

The rule sets a minimum classroom curriculum for entry-level truck drivers and those seeking a CDL. The rule states that pre-CDL drivers must become proficient at operating a truck and a FMCSA-approved trainer must judge the student before they are allowed to receive their CDL.