Press Releases

CVTA Opposes Legislation Granting Wide Exemptions from Entry-Level Driver Training Requirements

Sep 29, 2022

Legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate would grant sweeping exemptions that would allow employees in several large industries to bypass minimum safety requirements for the training of entry-level drivers of commercial motor vehicles. Fatal crashes involving large trucks increased by 33 percent between 2011 and 2020, highlighting the need for continued vigilance regarding safety on our nation’s roads. CVTA strongly opposes this proposal that would severely weaken training requirements that enhance highway safety and took decades to put into place.

After more than 30 years of work, minimum training requirements for entry-level drivers of commercial vehicles went into effect in February 2022 through federal rules known as the Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) final rule. Under ELDT, anyone seeking a Class A or Class B Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) or license endorsements to drive school buses, large passenger vehicles, or transport hazardous materials must comply with minimum training standards.

These standards are not onerous to comply with. They require training instructors to teach to and students to demonstrate proficiency in a curriculum without instruction hours requirements. ELDT standards were developed as the result of a consensus recommendation made by an advisory committee of 26 stakeholder organizations, including CVTA as well as truck driver organizations, motor carriers, and law enforcement. The decades of training experience held by CVTA members, most of which are small businesses that operate truck driver training programs, are reflected in these safety standards.

S. 4861, recently introduced in the U.S. Senate, creates overly broad exemptions from these critical safety requirements. Employees of certain agricultural businesses as well as state, local, and tribal government employees would not be required to meet these minimum training standards. And employees at businesses that employ 9 or fewer people with CDLs could also bypass these minimum requirements and be granted a “restricted” CDL.

Reasonable exemptions from ELDT already exist. Farmers, military drivers, firefighters, and other emergency response personnel can be exempted from ELDT under current rules.

The reckless exemptions proposed in this legislation provide broad authority to the executive branch to expand who is considered to be a “farm-related service industry” employee and allow them to bypass safety requirements without a guarantee that an exemption would provide for an equal or greater level of safety. Creating an arbitrary threshold that would exempt small business employees from safety requirements would invite irresponsible businesses to game the system. The cumulative impact of these exemptions would effectively gut the minimum training rules that provide for greater safety on our roads.

Congress should reject this legislation, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) should continue to pursue uniform application of ELDT.

Kyle Hayes

Kyle Hayes is the Director of Government Relations at CVTA. In this role, he leads the implementation of the Association’s legislative and regulatory strategy. He is also the primary point of contact between CVTA Members and federal agencies, Congress, and state governments.

Hayes most recently led research projects that supported federal and state advocacy on healthcare and economic issues at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nationally recognized research and policy institute based in Washington D.C. He received a master’s degree in public policy from American University in 2015 and graduated from the University of Georgia in 2012.

Andrew Poliakoff

Andy Poliakoff is the Executive Director for CVTA. In this role, he promotes the mission of the membership organization and implements goals set by the Board of Directors. This includes forming partnerships with external stakeholders, providing guidance and direction to the CVTA staff team, and engaging with state and federal government agencies to advance CVTA’s mission of safety and career opportunities in the truck driver training industry.

In 2021 and 2022, Andy acted as federal affairs lead for Electrify America, interacting at high levels within Congress, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Department of Energy, and the White House. In that capacity, he played a pivotal role in the optimization of large-scale infrastructure funding at the Federal Highway Administration as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

From 2019 to 2021 Andy served as Director of Gov't Affairs for CVTA and formed a strong bond with members, engaging on advocacy related to Entry-Level Driver Training, Skills Testing Delays, and Workforce funding. During the pandemic, Andy fought at the state and federal level to treat CDL training and testing as the essential services they are. He is personally invested in the important mission of CVTA's members to deliver safe training and to transform people's lives through truck driving careers.

Andy holds a bachelor's degree from Georgetown University and a law degree from the Columbus School of Law at Catholic University.

Cindy Atwood

Cindy Atwood is the Vice President at CVTA. An experienced association professional, Cindy handles all activities related to membership retention, financial accounting and committee engagement. Cindy artfully produces CVTA’s off-site biannual conferences, Hill Day operations and Board meetings, ensuring that the general membership and leadership’s necessities and wishes are met with the highest response.

An essential fixture in the truck driver training association space, Cindy manages CVTA’s Instructor Certification Program and provides critical counsel to new entrants into the truck driver training industry.

Kyle Hayes

Kyle Hayes is the Director of Government Relations at CVTA. In this role, he leads the implementation of the Association’s legislative and regulatory strategy. He is also the primary point of contact between CVTA Members and federal agencies, Congress, and state governments.

Hayes most recently led research projects that supported federal and state advocacy on healthcare and economic issues at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nationally recognized research and policy institute based in Washington D.C. He received a master’s degree in public policy from American University in 2015 and graduated from the University of Georgia in 2012.