Local trucking companies are concerned about a new federal mandate that requires formal training for drivers.The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration enacted its Entry-Level Driver Training requirement that says anybody who wants to get a new Commercial Driver’s License, or expand the one they currently have, must go through formal, accredited training.The training consists of both classroom, or theory-based, instruction and behind-the-wheel testing.Companies that provide that training, like Roadmaster Drivers School, are gearing up to get a lot busier.“I believe that we’re going to see a lot more students come our way,” Brad Ball, President of Roadmaster told KETV Newswatch 7.Omaha was one of Roadmaster’s newest locations.“We’ve been preparing for ELDT for many years in fact, not long ago we had 13-schools, we’re up to 20-now and we’ll have 26-by the end of the year,” said Ball.Trucking companies are concerned about the new regulation.“Right now, we don’t know as an industry what the impact’s going to be, fully,” said Brent Falgione, President of Greater Omaha Express.He said the change does not come at a good time.“The timing is very tough,” he said.Falgione said a few years ago the entire trucking industry had a shortage of about 86,000 drivers.Then the pandemic hit and knocked out another 50-to-75,000 more drivers.That means companies are even more eager to get drivers behind the wheel and Falgione said the new mandate will only put the brakes on getting them there.“What’s happening is, it’s a bottleneck for drivers to come into the industry,” he said.There are also concerns that this could impact the nation’s supply chain issues because not having enough drivers could slow down even more deliveries.“The industry is responding to the best of its ability,” said Kent Grisham, who leads the Nebraska Trucking Association.Grisham said there are other concerns with the new ELDT mandate, like finding enough schools to provide the training.He said two-to-four thousand people would take a CDL test each year in Nebraska, without having gone through formal training.Those drivers learned other places, like on the farm or through an employer.“There is no way, when you combine all the community colleges and the private schools, that the marketplace can absorb that many student drivers in the course of the year and that’s just here in Nebraska,” said Grisham.Another concern he has, is the impact this could have on industries that train their own drivers, like rural school districts.“Now those drivers are going to have to go through like federally and state certified programs before they’re even able to go behind the wheel to train on the school bus. I’m not sure they’re prepared for it or even realize that’s happening,” Grisham said.The stated goal of the new rule is safety, by requiring people to go through uniform training.Falgione said he is all for safety, but he wondered if ELDT will make that happen.He said Greater Omaha Express did an internal survey of its drivers, comparing those that went through formal training at a school with those that learned on their own.“We cannot see any difference in the safety factor of the drivers that have gone through school versus attained their CDL on their own,” said Falgione.We asked what that survey showed him.“We probably needed a bigger study of this, of the current driver population, before we passed the regulation,” he answered.There has been some talk about stopping the new regulation.South Dakota Congressman Dusty Johnson has asked the government to delay implementation of the ELDT requirement (https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/weekly-columns/pump-brakes-sec-buttigieg).There are some exemptions to the new rule.Military, firefighters, and farmers and ranchers are exempt if they’re operating their trucks within 150-air miles of their base.The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration unveiled a new online database for people to use if they want to find an accredited location to get their ELDT done.Follow this link: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration ELDT database
Local trucking companies are concerned about a new federal mandate that requires formal training for drivers.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration enacted its Entry-Level Driver Training requirement that says anybody who wants to get a new Commercial Driver’s License, or expand the one they currently have, must go through formal, accredited training.
The training consists of both classroom, or theory-based, instruction and behind-the-wheel testing.
Companies that provide that training, like Roadmaster Drivers School, are gearing up to get a lot busier.
“I believe that we’re going to see a lot more students come our way,” Brad Ball, President of Roadmaster told KETV Newswatch 7.
Omaha was one of Roadmaster’s newest locations.
“We’ve been preparing for ELDT for many years in fact, not long ago we had 13-schools, we’re up to 20-now and we’ll have 26-by the end of the year,” said Ball.
Trucking companies are concerned about the new regulation.
“Right now, we don’t know as an industry what the impact’s going to be, fully,” said Brent Falgione, President of Greater Omaha Express.
He said the change does not come at a good time.
“The timing is very tough,” he said.
Falgione said a few years ago the entire trucking industry had a shortage of about 86,000 drivers.
Then the pandemic hit and knocked out another 50-to-75,000 more drivers.
That means companies are even more eager to get drivers behind the wheel and Falgione said the new mandate will only put the brakes on getting them there.
“What’s happening is, it’s a bottleneck for drivers to come into the industry,” he said.
There are also concerns that this could impact the nation’s supply chain issues because not having enough drivers could slow down even more deliveries.
“The industry is responding to the best of its ability,” said Kent Grisham, who leads the Nebraska Trucking Association.
Grisham said there are other concerns with the new ELDT mandate, like finding enough schools to provide the training.
He said two-to-four thousand people would take a CDL test each year in Nebraska, without having gone through formal training.
Those drivers learned other places, like on the farm or through an employer.
“There is no way, when you combine all the community colleges and the private schools, that the marketplace can absorb that many student drivers in the course of the year and that’s just here in Nebraska,” said Grisham.
Another concern he has, is the impact this could have on industries that train their own drivers, like rural school districts.
“Now those drivers are going to have to go through like federally and state certified programs before they’re even able to go behind the wheel to train on the school bus. I’m not sure they’re prepared for it or even realize that’s happening,” Grisham said.
The stated goal of the new rule is safety, by requiring people to go through uniform training.
Falgione said he is all for safety, but he wondered if ELDT will make that happen.
He said Greater Omaha Express did an internal survey of its drivers, comparing those that went through formal training at a school with those that learned on their own.
“We cannot see any difference in the safety factor of the drivers that have gone through school versus attained their CDL on their own,” said Falgione.
We asked what that survey showed him.
“We probably needed a bigger study of this, of the current driver population, before we passed the regulation,” he answered.
There has been some talk about stopping the new regulation.
South Dakota Congressman Dusty Johnson has asked the government to delay implementation of the ELDT requirement (https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/weekly-columns/pump-brakes-sec-buttigieg).
There are some exemptions to the new rule.
Military, firefighters, and farmers and ranchers are exempt if they’re operating their trucks within 150-air miles of their base.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration unveiled a new online database for people to use if they want to find an accredited location to get their ELDT done.
Follow this link: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration ELDT database
