ELDT: Entry-Level Driver Training Rules for a CDL

For CDL students

Updated September 28, 2026

Entry-level driver training (ELDT) is the federal training standard for new commercial drivers. Since February 7, 2022, you must complete it if you are getting a Class A or Class B CDL for the first time, upgrading from Class B to Class A, or adding a passenger (P), school bus (S), or hazmat (H) endorsement for the first time.

The training must come from a provider listed on FMCSA’s Training Provider Registry. Your state cannot give you the test until the registry shows you finished.

Feb 7, 2022The day the ELDT rules took effect

2 partsTheory and behind-the-wheel

80%Minimum overall theory score

0Minimum training hours in the federal rules

This guide covers who needs ELDT, what each part teaches, how your training reaches your state, and how to check that a school counts. Every rule links to its source.

Who Needs ELDT

The rules apply to new drivers in both interstate and intrastate trucking. You need ELDT if you are:

Getting a Class A or Class B CDL for the first time
Upgrading a Class B CDL to a Class A CDL
Getting a passenger (P), school bus (S), or hazardous materials (H) endorsement for the first time

You do not need ELDT if:

Your CDL, or your P, S, or H endorsement, was issued before February 7, 2022. That holds even if your old CDL has lapsed and you get one of the same class again.
You got your CLP before February 7, 2022, and you get your CDL before that permit (or its renewal) expires.
You qualify for the military skills-test waiver, or you fall under another skills-test exception in the CDL rules.
You are only removing a restriction from your CDL, such as the air brake (L or Z) or manual transmission (E) restriction.

What Each License Requires

What you train on, and which test it unlocks, depends on what you are applying for. FMCSA sums it up this way:

License or endorsement	Training must be done before	Theory	Behind-the-wheel
Class A CDL (new or upgrade)	Skills test	Yes	Range and public road
Class B CDL	Skills test	Yes	Range and public road
Passenger (P)	P skills test	Yes	Range or public road
School bus (S)	S skills test	Yes	Range or public road
Hazmat (H)	H knowledge test	Yes	None

Training for a Class A CDL also counts for Class B. If you train for Class A and then decide on Class B, you can take either skills test.

Theory Training

Theory is the classroom part. It can be taught in person or online, as long as the provider is on the registry and its instructors meet the federal standard. For a Class A CDL, the rules list five sections of topics:

Basic operation

Controls, pre-trip and post-trip inspections, shifting, backing and docking, and coupling and uncoupling.

Safe operating procedures

Visual search, distracted driving, speed and space management, night driving, and extreme conditions.

Advanced practices

Hazard perception, skids and jackknifes, and railroad crossings.

Vehicle systems

Spotting and reporting problems, roadside inspections, and maintenance.

Non-driving activities

Cargo paperwork, hours of service, fatigue, crash steps, trip planning, drug and alcohol rules, and medical rules.

The score: you must get at least 80% overall on the theory assessment.
The hours: the federal rules set no minimum hours for theory. The provider must cover every topic.
Simulators: they can be used in theory training, but not for behind-the-wheel time.

Behind-the-Wheel Training

Behind-the-wheel (BTW) training happens in a real truck. For a Class A CDL, it has two parts:

On a range: vehicle inspection, straight-line backing, alley dock backing, offset backing, parallel parking on both sides, and coupling and uncoupling.
On public roads: turns, lane changes, curves at highway speed, getting on and off the interstate, shifting, signaling, speed and space, hazard perception, railroad crossings, and driving at night and in bad weather.

There is no federal minimum number of BTW hours. You pass when your instructor sees you do each skill well. Your provider still reports the total clock hours you spent. You must train in a truck that fits the class you want, and a simulator does not count.

Do you need to train on a manual transmission? Only if you plan to drive one. If you take the skills test in a truck with an automatic, your CDL gets a restriction against driving a manual.

A state can ask for more than the federal minimum. FMCSA says a state may require a set number of BTW hours. Ask both the state where you train and your home state.

Peterbilt car hauler loaded with new SUVs on a mountain road at dusk

The Training Provider Registry

The Training Provider Registry (TPR) is FMCSA’s list of approved trainers. Only providers on it can give the training the rules require. Before you pay a school, search for it on the registry at tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov.

You finish training.Theory and BTW can come from two different providers, as long as both are on the registry.
Your provider reports it.By midnight of the second business day after you finish, the provider sends your name, license number, the training type, your BTW clock hours, and the completion date.
Your state checks it.Before your skills test (or your hazmat knowledge test), the state confirms your training is on record. You cannot enter it yourself.

Your state may let you book a skills test before you finish training. It cannot give you the test until your record is in. If your provider reports late, you wait.

Some states check again at licensing. Colorado, for example, asks for proof you finished ELDT when you get your CDL.

Planning a career hauling cars? See what Accelerated asks of its contract drivers.

See Our Requirements

ELDT for Endorsements

Passenger (P) and school bus (S): theory plus BTW on a range or public road, finished before the endorsement skills test.
Hazmat (H): theory only, finished before the hazmat knowledge test. Hazmat is also the one training with no one-year clock to finish. The full steps, including the TSA background check, are in our guide on how to get a hazmat endorsement.

Had your CDL before February 7, 2022, but never got a P, S, or H? You still need ELDT to add one for the first time. For the full list of endorsements, see CDL endorsements.

ELDT and Your CDL Timeline

ELDT is one step in a longer process. You can start theory before or after you get your commercial learner’s permit (CLP). BTW must be done before your skills test. And except for hazmat, you must finish every part within one year of completing the first part.

The one fixed wait is separate: you hold your CLP 14 days before the skills test. Our guide on how long it takes to get a CDL walks through every step in order.

After ELDT: The Road to Car Hauling

ELDT gets you ready for the CDL test, not for a car-haul rig. Loading and securing up to nine vehicles takes experience, so Accelerated asks its contract drivers for 3 years of CDL-A driving and 1 year of verifiable 9-car experience. Most new drivers build that record hauling other freight first. Our no-experience FAQ explains the path.

ELDT FAQs

What is ELDT?

ELDT stands for entry-level driver training. It is the federal training standard for new CDL drivers and for first-time P, S, and H endorsements. It must come from a provider on FMCSA’s Training Provider Registry.

How many hours is ELDT?

The federal rules set no minimum hours for theory or behind-the-wheel training. You must score at least 80% on the theory assessment, and your instructor must see you perform each driving skill. Some states add hour minimums of their own.

Can I take ELDT online?

The theory part can be taken online from a provider on the registry. Behind-the-wheel training cannot. It must happen in a real truck on a range and on public roads, and simulators do not count.

How long are my ELDT theory results valid?

For a Class A or Class B CDL, you must finish every part of your training (theory, range, and public road) within one year of completing the first part. The hazmat endorsement is the exception. Your state may have its own limits, so ask it too.

Do I need ELDT if I had a CDL before 2022?

No, not for the same class. A CDL issued before February 7, 2022, is covered even if it lapsed. You do need ELDT to upgrade from Class B to Class A, or to add a P, S, or H endorsement for the first time.

See What It Takes to Haul Cars

ELDT is your first step toward a CDL. When you have 3 years of CDL-A driving and 1 year of verifiable 9-car experience, Accelerated wants to hear from you. See the full requirements on our careers page.

See Driver Requirements

Sources

Last checked September 28, 2026. Rules change. Confirm with FMCSA and your state before you enroll. This guide is a plain-language summary, not legal advice.