Pump the Brakes, Sec. Buttigieg!

Statement

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is set to implement the Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) rule on February 7--this Monday. This rule imposes new requirements on entry-level Commercial Driver License (CDL) applicants before they can get behind the wheel. These regulations--originally mandated as part of the 2012 surface transportation reauthorization bill known as MAP-21--requires drivers to complete their training from a provider on the FMCSA's Training Provider Registry List.

While well-intended, these new requirements come at a terrible time. We are in the midst of a global supply chain crisis, intensified by an ongoing labor shortage. The American Trucking Associations reports there is a shortage of more than 80,000 truck drivers -- I've heard for weeks from truck drivers who have said this will disrupt their business and make things worse.

I have been working with my colleagues to delay the ELDT rule, but unfortunately the Biden Administration remains largely unreceptive. This week, I sent a letter to Secretary Buttigieg, urging him to listen to the boots on the ground and delay the implementation of these new requirements.

In November, I sent a letter to Secretary Buttigieg urging reimplementation of the FMCSA's Under-21 Commercial Driver Pilot Program. The Administration just recently re-started the program, however, the current handling of the supply chain crisis seems to be one step forward, two steps back. Many are concerned that these ELDT requirements will only compound the supply chain crisis and hurt prospective CDL applicants, especially those in rural areas, as well as those pursuing part-time employment in the trucking industry. This will disincentivize new truck drivers from joining the industry, increasing the truck driver shortage.

While the Ocean Shipping Reform Act that Congressman Garamendi (D-CA) and I introduced will help combat part of the supply chain crisis -- having readily available truck drivers to transport American goods around the country is a necessity of a proper-functioning supply chain.

Pump the brakes, Secretary Buttigieg. We need common sense solutions that solve our current crisis, and the new ELDT rule isn't one of them.

P.S. -- If you want to know if the provider near you is qualified as a training provider, you can find a list at https://tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov/. You'll need to scroll down until you see the "Do you need to find a training provider?" section. Once there, click on "Download the list of registered training providers." This link will allow users to download a spreadsheet of the ELDT training locations that have registered with FMCSA. Please note the regulations are not retroactive--they do not apply to people who hold these licenses or endorsements prior to February 7, 2022, or who renew them prior to expiration.

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