If you're applying for a CDL for the first time, there's a step in the process that didn't exist for drivers who got licensed years ago: Entry-Level Driver Training, or ELDT. Since it took effect on February 7, 2022, ELDT has changed the order of operations for a huge share of new CDL applicants, and it's worth understanding before you assume you can just show up and test.
Who ELDT applies to
The federal rule, found in 49 CFR Part 380, applies to anyone who is: obtaining a Class A CDL for the first time, obtaining a Class B CDL for the first time, upgrading an existing Class B CDL to a Class A, or obtaining a passenger (P), school bus (S), or hazardous materials (H) endorsement for the first time. If you fall into one of those categories, you're required to complete a prescribed program of training before you're allowed to take the CDL skills test — and for the knowledge test portions tied to those categories, before that as well.
Related: What to Expect on the CDL General Knowledge Test
What the training actually covers
ELDT training is split into two components:
- Theory instruction. This is the classroom knowledge portion — vehicle systems, hours of service rules, hazard perception, cargo handling, and trip planning, among other topics. It can be delivered through in-person lectures, computer-based instruction, or online training, and a trainee must score at least 80% on the theory assessment to pass.
- Behind-the-wheel (BTW) instruction. This is hands-on training in the vehicle, covering both a driving range component and public-road driving. Rather than mandating a fixed number of hours, the rule requires the training provider to certify that the driver-trainee demonstrated proficiency in every element of the applicable curriculum — so the length of training can vary based on how quickly an individual trainee reaches that proficiency.
The Training Provider Registry
Training doesn't count toward ELDT compliance unless it's provided by a school or other entity listed on FMCSA's Training Provider Registry (TPR). Once you complete the required training, your provider submits certification of that completion electronically to the TPR, and your state's licensing agency checks that record before letting you proceed to testing. This is different from how CDL preparation historically worked, where a trucking company or independent instructor could train you with no federal registry check involved.
How this changed CDL testing in practice
Before ELDT, states set their own training expectations (or none at all) for entry-level applicants, and training quality varied enormously by state and by employer. ELDT created a single federal floor: a documented, registry-verified training record has to exist before certain applicants can even sit for the skills test. For applicants going for one of the endorsements it covers (H, P, or S) or a first-time Class A or B, that means the practical sequence now runs training first, verified through the registry, then testing — rather than training and testing happening in whatever order a given state or employer previously allowed.
What this means for you if you're applying now
- Confirm whether ELDT applies to your specific situation — first-time Class A or B, an upgrade from B to A, or a first-time H, P, or S endorsement all trigger it; renewing an existing CDL without changing class or adding one of those endorsements generally does not.
- Choose a training provider listed on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry — training from a provider not on the registry will not satisfy the requirement, regardless of quality.
- Because enforcement details, provider standards, and registry procedures have continued to evolve since the rule's 2022 effective date, verify current specifics with the FMCSA Training Provider Registry or your state's CDL licensing agency rather than relying on older secondhand information.
ELDT doesn't change what's tested on the CDL knowledge or skills exams themselves — it changes what has to happen before you're allowed to take them. Knowing that up front saves you from the surprise of being turned away from a testing appointment because the training record isn't on file. Try our CDL practice questions.