Federal Regulatory Review Postpones Driver Training Rule Until May
An entry-level driver training rule for truck drivers scheduled to be published this month has been delayed two months due to a directive from the Trump White House on pending regulations.
The new date for the rule to take effect will be May 22, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration indicated in the Federal Register. The agency had scheduled for the rule to into effect March 21.
The delay “is necessary to provide the opportunity for further review and consideration of this new regulation,” FMCSA acting Administrator Daphne Jefferson wrote in the notice published in the Register.
A directive in a memorandum authorized by President Trump in January directed the lead staff at executive departments and agencies, such as FMCSA, to postpone certain regulations for 60 days from the effective dates that had been published in the Register.
When the final rule takes effect in May, stakeholders will have until Feb. 7, 2020 to comply.
The rule will require that behind-the-wheel proficiency of an entry-level truck and bus driver be determined solely by the instructor’s evaluation of how well the driver-trainee performs the fundamental vehicle control skills and driving procedures set forth in the curricula. It also will set no minimum number of hours of classroom instruction, and it will establish a national registry of certified trainers.
In a statement, American Trucking Associations expressed confidence the final rule “will withstand scrutiny given its clear safety benefit and widespread stakeholder support.”
