The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recently released student and training provider data from the ELDT Training Provider Registry[1].
This data provides the first look at the national landscape of training providers participating in ELDT.
Training Providers Participating in ELDT:
According to the data collected by FMCSA, 21,368 training providers are listed on the FMCSA TPR, representing 37,743 locations. Of these training providers:
10% are Training Schools or Educational Institutions
38% are government entities, consisting of school districts or state and local governments
40% are motor carriers
CVTA’s ELDT Task Force continues to work with FMCSA towards the goal that ALL training providers listed on the TPR comply with ELDT’s requirements; including the 1) use of an adequate training program and 2) compliance with state requirements to maintain registration or licensure.
To that end, ongoing discussions between FMCSA and the Task Force have resulted in increased transparency for students and industry stakeholders into federal enforcement actions. That transparency has taken shape through the display of entities removed and under review by FMCSA.
As well, the agency has provided helpful guidance to states for reporting noncompliance and instituted a new complaint reporting platform.
Most importantly, FMCSA now works to verify the valid licensure of incoming TPR registrants to prevent bad actors from entering the system.
However, despite these useful process improvements, firsthand observations from CVTA members and state licensing agencies indicate that the scale of noncompliance is larger than what is represented in FMCSA’s enforcement actions. In particular, the lack of removals of existing bad actors is an area in need of improvement.
It is critical that FMCSA staff work diligently to prioritize the removal of existing bad actors, so that prospective drivers have access to high-quality training options that will prepare them to be the safe and efficient drivers the industry needs.
New Driver Demographics
The data also provide a snapshot of the drivers that have applied for a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) or endorsement since the onset of ELDT. A total of 1.14 million drivers have applied for a CDL or endorsement since February 7, 2022. Of these drivers:
63% are between ages 21 and 40
14% are over the age of 50
5% are between ages 18 and 20
This data sheds light on the continuing need for drivers in the trucking industry. One of the main causes of the persistent driver shortage is seasoned drivers exiting the industry due to retirement. These figures demonstrate that a significant share of drivers will approach retirement age over the next decade.
Unfortunately, the industry is not adding a significant number of drivers ages 18 to 20. One factor contributing to the limited prevalence of drivers in this age bracket is the prohibition on drivers under the age of 21 of driving in interstate commerce.
The Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot (SDAP) program provides a potential solution to increasing participation among this age group, but participation in the pilot program has been limited.
As the new Congress convenes in 2025, policymakers should renew or pass policies, like the SDAP or the Drive Safe Act to enable more 18–20-year-old drivers to participate in interstate commerce and enter the industry’s talent pipeline.
This will boost the industry’s recruiting efforts when students exiting high school can immediately experience the positive career available to drivers in the trucking industry. In turn, bolstering the industry’s talent pipeline among younger drivers will ensure the industry maintains a workforce necessary to support the smooth functioning of the nation’s supply chain.
[1] The FMCSA’s ELDT standards were designed to increase safety on the nation’s highways by standardizing truck driver training. The Training Provider Registry (TPR) was created to effectively monitor and enforce minimum standards for entry-level truck drivers, known as the Entry-Level Driver Training final rules.