NIT offers new training required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA) implemented a new rule on February 7, 2022 that requires aspiring commercial drivers complete a standard theory and practical training. The new standards in the Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) provide students and their employers a minimum training course for commercial drivers across the country.

“The Federal Motor Safety Carrier Association kind of came up with this entry level driver training standard as a way to make sure that all 50 states had some modicum of the same requirements,” Joey Crum, president and CEO of Northern Industrial Training (NIT), said. “So that it would standardize a little bit of the product that trucking companies would get.”

Drivers that have obtained a commercial drivers license prior to February 7, 2022 are not required to complete the ELDT courses. Those drivers looking to upgrade or add endorsements to their license are required to complete at least a portion of those ELDT courses, depending on the endorsement.

“If [commercial drivers] are upgrading, or adding, meaning going from a Class C, or a Class B to a higher class of a license, they have to do the entire part of the ELDT,” Crum said. “That’s both the theory and the practical. If they are looking to add endorsements, at a minimum, they have to do the theory portion of it.”

There were initial rumors that the ELDT rule would not be implemented due to conflicts from COVID-19. Crum’s connections to both the American Trucking Association and Alaska Trucking Association allowed him to realize that these rumors were not true.

“We knew all along that this wasn’t going to be delayed,” Crum said.

With that knowledge, Crum and his team began developing a program for this new rule last year.

“We started in May of 2021, and developed an online theory based portion,” Crum said. “And we’ve gone live nationally with it.”

Crum said that governmental agencies and companies across the country were not prepared for this new rule change. Many institutions were not prepared on both the administrative end and in curriculum development.

“Last Thursday, we had six phone calls from out of state agencies, training agencies, community colleges, even spoke to an official at a DMV in a different state, trying to explain to them the process about how they go about registering for the [ELDT] federal portal,” Crum said.

Crum mentioned that the Alaska Department of Motor Vehicles was more prepared than other departments across the country.

Alaskans looking to obtain their commercial drivers license face logistical issues to obtain their ELDT, Crum said.

“We have huge parts of the state that do not have reliable internet service or bandwidth,” Crum said. “Which means that some of the theory-type courses that could be taught online, you can’t, because you just can’t rely that your internet will work that day.”

Alaskans looking to take practical courses in person must travel long distances to attend a certified teaching location. Infrastructure within the state also makes teaching practical behind-the-wheel training difficult.

“You continue to find out day after day that even with our challenges, we are being contacted by so many people from places that do not have logistical issues like we do,” Crum said. “And we’re well ahead of them.”

Crum acknowledged there are proponents and opponents of the new rule. He said there are some that believe there should be a minimum amount of training and those that believe a commercial license should be obtainable to anyone.

“We’ve seen sectors of the industry that are very favorable and positive about this and then others that are very anti,” Crum said. “But the point is it doesn’t matter, it’s here.”

Those looking to obtain their commercial drivers license must complete a written test at a department of motor vehicles location. Upon passing, those students are required to enroll in an ELDT theory course through a certified training facility as found in a federal portal. This federal portal allows both the drivers, training professionals and state agencies to monitor progress and completion of the ELDT process. This is followed by the enrollment and completion of the new ELDT practical, behind-the-wheel course. Once finished, state licensing agencies can confirm that the ELDT standards have been met through their federal portal. Those state agencies can then allow drivers to take a final road exam.

Crum directs those that are interested to NIT’s certified website ELDTpro.com. There is a list of frequently asked questions and an option to sign up for the theory portion of the ELDT.

“To my knowledge, we are the only in-state company that has an online course for the ELDT theory,” Crum said. “And while there are some nationally that are out there, we were the second.”

NIT was voted the best post-secondary education in the Valley by the Mat-Su community. The prompt reaction to this new rule change is an example of both Crum and his team’s commitment to providing quality education for their students.

“We have operated out of state several different times within our career,” Crum said. “But we really are on the cutting edge and a leading force in workforce development nationwide… We’re always looking for what’s next and what else.”