CDL training (ELDT): who needs it, what it covers and how to check a school

Checked against official sources · Last reviewed October 6, 2026

Entry-level driver training (ELDT) is the federal training you must finish before the skills test for your first Class A or Class B CDL (commercial driver's license), an upgrade from Class B to Class A, or a first passenger (P) or school bus (S) endorsement, and before the knowledge test for a first hazmat (H) endorsement.

It applies to anyone who got a commercial learner's permit on or after February 7, 2022. The training has to come from a provider listed on FMCSA's Training Provider Registry (TPR), so check the school there before you pay. [1][2][3][4]

Who has to take entry-level driver training

FMCSA's list of who must complete ELDT covers first-time Class A and Class B CDLs, Class B holders upgrading to Class A, and first-time S, P and H endorsements. The rules apply whether you'll drive across state lines or only inside one state.

The list doesn't name a Class C CDL by itself. Its first-time P, S and H endorsement items aren't tied to a license class.

FMCSA's summary of what each one needs:

Sources: [1][2][4][6][7]

Who doesn't need ELDT

• Drivers issued a Class A or B CDL, or a P, S or H endorsement, before February 7, 2022 don't need ELDT for that CDL or endorsement.
• If you got your permit before February 7, 2022, you don't need ELDT as long as you get your CDL before the permit or renewed permit expires.
• In FMCSA's guidance, a driver issued a CDL before February 7, 2022 who let it expire can get a CDL of the same class again without ELDT.
• FMCSA says removing the L (no air brake), Z (no full air brake) or E (no manual transmission) restriction from your CDL doesn't require ELDT.
• Drivers excepted from the CDL rules under 49 CFR 383.3(c), (d) and (h), drivers applying for a restricted CDL under 383.3(e) through (g), and military drivers who qualify under 383.77 are also outside the rule.

An old CDL doesn't cover a new endorsement. If you got your CDL before February 7, 2022 but are adding S, P or H for the first time now, you need the training for that endorsement. [1][2][6][8]

Theory training: what it covers and the 80% score

Theory is the knowledge part. The rule defines it as instruction given through lectures, demonstrations, audio-visual presentations, computer-based instruction, driving simulators, online training or similar means. Online providers must make sure the content is prepared or delivered by a qualified theory instructor.

The Class A theory curriculum has five sections: basic operation, safe operating procedures, advanced operating practices, vehicle systems and reporting malfunctions, and non-driving activities such as handling and documenting cargo, hours of service, fatigue and wellness, post-crash procedures, trip planning, drugs and alcohol, and medical requirements. If you already hold a valid Class B CDL, you may take the Class A theory upgrade curriculum instead.

The Class A and Class B curricula set no minimum number of theory hours, but the instructor must cover every topic. You must score at least 80 percent overall on the written theory assessment. [4][9][10][11][12]

Behind-the-wheel training: range and public road

Behind-the-wheel (BTW) training has two parts for Class A and B. On the range, Class A trainees work on basic vehicle control: pre-trip, en-route and post-trip inspection, straight-line, alley-dock and offset backing, parallel parking on the blind side and sight side, and coupling and uncoupling. On the public road, they practice turns, lane changes, curves at highway speed, getting on and off the interstate, shifting, signaling, visual search, speed and space management, safe driver behavior and hours of service. Hazard perception, railroad crossings, night driving, extreme conditions and skid control are discussed on the road but don't have to be performed.

Public road time counts only when you're actually in control of the truck with a BTW instructor. Watching someone else drive doesn't count.

There's no minimum number of BTW hours in the federal Class A and B curricula, and FMCSA says the same for the P and S endorsements. You're done when the instructor documents that you've shown proficiency in every required element. The instructor also records your total BTW clock hours. Training must be in a vehicle of the same group and type you'll use for the skills test, and a driving simulator can't be used for BTW training or to show proficiency.

The school must check that you hold a valid commercial learner's permit (or CDL) before it accepts you for BTW training. [4][7][9][10][11][13]

Theory and BTW from different schools, and the one-year limit

You can take theory from one provider and behind-the-wheel from another. Both BTW parts, range and public road, must come from the same provider. FMCSA says there's no required order, and you don't have to finish theory before getting your permit, but BTW must be done before the skills test.

FMCSA has heard from applicants that some providers require you to enroll in both theory and BTW, so BTW-only training can be hard to find. Check before you sign up for theory somewhere else.

Except for the hazmat endorsement, you must finish both theory and BTW within one year of completing the first part. [2][5][7][9]

Who can be a training provider

Any provider must be listed on the Training Provider Registry. That includes training schools, educational institutions, rural electric cooperatives, motor carriers, state and local governments, school districts, joint labor-management programs, owner-operators and individuals. A provider with several campuses registers each location and gets a separate TPR number for each.

FMCSA doesn't supply training materials for the curricula and doesn't endorse specific materials or vendors. [3][4][7][14]

Cost and paying for CDL training

FMCSA suggests contacting several providers and asking what fees they charge, along with whether they meet FMCSA and state requirements, their enrollment policies and class availability.

For help paying, FMCSA suggests contacting your state Workforce Development office, asking employers about tuition assistance and tuition reimbursement, and looking into employer-based training programs. [5]

After training: reporting and the skills test

When you finish, the provider must submit your training certification through the TPR website by midnight of the second business day. It includes your name, license or permit number and state, the class or endorsement and type of training, your total BTW clock hours, the provider's name and TPR number, and the completion date. You can't enter it yourself: FMCSA says only registered providers can submit training records.

According to FMCSA's guidance, your state can't give you the skills test (or, for hazmat, the knowledge test) until it verifies you completed the training. A state may let you schedule the test earlier. If the provider is late reporting, you aren't penalized, but you can't test until the record is in the registry and the state has accessed it.

FMCSA says that if you complete Class A training, you may take the Class B skills test as well as the Class A test. You can also train and test in a state other than the one that licenses you, though some states with stricter training rules may make you meet them first. For the permit, the tests and the CDL classes, see CDL requirements. [3][5][7][16][17]

Common questions