What Is ELDT? The 2026 Guide for New CDL Drivers

If you are working toward your first commercial driver's license, you have probably run into three letters that did not exist in the CDL process a few years ago: ELDT. Entry-Level Driver Training is a federal requirement that took effect on February 7, 2022. Since that date, nobody in the United States can take a CDL skills test for a new Class A or Class B license, or a knowledge test for certain endorsements, until a registered training provider has reported that they finished the required training.

The rule lives in 49 CFR Part 380 and was written by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The goal is to make sure every new commercial driver has been taught the same core material before taking the wheel of an 80,000-pound vehicle.

Who must complete ELDT

ELDT applies to you if you are doing any of the following for the first time on or after February 7, 2022:

• Getting a Class A CDL
• Getting a Class B CDL
• Upgrading an existing Class B CDL to a Class A
• Adding a passenger (P) endorsement
• Adding a school bus (S) endorsement
• Adding a hazardous materials (H) endorsement

Notice what is not on that list. ELDT does not apply to CDL renewals. It does not apply to drivers who already held their CDL or the relevant endorsement before February 7, 2022; those drivers are grandfathered in and never need to complete the training. It also does not apply to the tanker (N), doubles/triples (T) or any endorsement other than P, S and H.

One point trips up a lot of applicants: ELDT is tied to the license class and endorsement, not to the job. Long-haul, local delivery, dump truck or city bus, the same federal rule applies, and it does not matter which state issues your license. You can compare licensing steps for training in your state, but the ELDT portion is identical everywhere.

The two parts: theory and behind-the-wheel

The ELDT curriculum has two halves, and FMCSA treats them very differently.

Theory is the classroom portion. For a Class A or Class B CDL it covers five topic areas: basic operation (inspection, backing, shifting, coupling), safe operating procedures (visual search, space management, speed control, night and extreme-weather driving), advanced operating practices (hazard perception, skid recovery, emergency maneuvers), vehicle systems and malfunctions, and non-driving activities (hours of service, fatigue, trip planning, drug and alcohol rules). Endorsement courses cover their own subject matter; hazmat theory, for example, walks through placarding, loading, unloading and emergency response.

There is no federal minimum number of hours for theory. FMCSA set the standard as proficiency rather than seat time. What the rule does require is that you score 80% or higher on the provider's theory assessment; score lower and you retake it until you clear that bar. Because theory is proficiency-based it can be delivered online, and that is the piece we provide: you work through lessons and quizzes at your own pace, on a phone or computer, and finish when you are ready.

Behind-the-wheel (BTW) is the hands-on portion and must be done in person with a registered provider. It is split into range training on a closed course (pre-trip inspection, straight-line backing, alley docking, offset backing, coupling) and public road training in real traffic (lane changes, turns, intersections, railroad crossings). Like theory, BTW has no federal minimum hour count. The instructor must certify that you have demonstrated proficiency in every required skill, and that is what gets reported to FMCSA.

Theory and behind-the-wheel can come from different providers. Many drivers complete theory online first, then arrange range and road training with a local school, a carrier's in-house program or an independent instructor. That lets you finish the classroom part while you wait out the 14-day permit hold.

How the Training Provider Registry works

The Training Provider Registry, or TPR, is the FMCSA database that makes the system work. It lives at tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov. Every school, carrier or online provider that delivers ELDT has to register there, certify that its curriculum matches Part 380, and agree to reporting rules and audits.

When you finish a course, the provider submits a completion record to the TPR: your name, date of birth, driver's license number and issuing state, the course type (for example Class A theory or hazmat theory) and the completion date. It has to be submitted by midnight of the second business day after you finish. Because your license number and state are part of the record, enter them exactly as they appear on your CLP or current license when you enroll; a typo can delay the match at the DMV.

When you show up for your skills test or endorsement knowledge test, the state licensing agency queries the TPR electronically. If it finds a matching theory record and, where required, a behind-the-wheel record, you are cleared to test. If not, you will be turned away no matter how well prepared you are. FMCSA does not mail a paper certificate and you do not need to bring one; many providers issue their own as a receipt, but the TPR entry is what counts.

You can also check the registry yourself. The public search on the TPR site confirms that a provider is registered and which training types it is registered to deliver. Look up any school before you pay. If it is not on the registry, its training does not satisfy the rule and you will have to pay to do it again.

What it costs and how long it takes

You pay for the two halves separately. The ELDT cost guide for 2026 has current online theory prices and the other fees on the way to a CDL; here is the short version.

Theory delivered online is the least expensive part of the process. Because there is no hour minimum, a self-paced online course can be priced low, and you can finish in a few days if you study consistently. Plan on roughly eight to twenty hours for the material and quizzes, depending on how much you already know.

Behind-the-wheel training comes after or alongside theory. It is done in person with a registered school or instructor, and each provider sets its own price, so ask what its behind-the-wheel training includes before you sign up. Our CDL school finder lists registered behind-the-wheel providers by ZIP code.

On timing, there are a few fixed constraints:

• You must hold your commercial learner's permit for at least 14 days before you can take the skills test.
• Except for hazmat, you must finish both theory and behind-the-wheel within one year of completing whichever part you did first, and both completion records must be in the TPR before you test.
• Your CLP is valid for up to one year from issuance; some states issue it for 180 days and allow one renewal, others issue it for a full year with no renewal. Either way, plan to finish your training inside that window.

A realistic path: pass the CLP knowledge tests, complete online theory in a week, spend two to three weeks on range and road practice with a local instructor, then sit for the skills test once the 14-day permit holding period is up. From start to CDL in hand, that is roughly five to eight weeks.

How to start

Getting going is simpler than the regulation makes it sound. Here is the sequence that works for most new drivers.

First, decide which license class you need. Class A covers combination vehicles such as tractor-trailers and is the most versatile. Class B covers straight trucks, dump trucks and buses. If you are unsure, Class A is the safer bet because it also lets you drive Class B vehicles.

Second, get your DOT medical card. A certified medical examiner runs the physical, and most states require it before issuing a CLP. Do it early; it can catch a problem, like uncontrolled blood pressure, that would otherwise stall you later.

Third, pass the CLP knowledge tests at your state licensing agency. These are separate from ELDT, and ELDT is required before the skills test, not before the permit test. The permit number you get here is what your training provider uses to record your training in the registry.

Fourth, complete online theory. Our courses are $20 each, listed on the FMCSA registry, and report your completion automatically once you pass every unit assessment at 80% or better. Add your permit number to your profile before you start the lessons. If you chose Class A in the first step, that means the Class A CDL theory course.

Fifth, arrange behind-the-wheel training with a registered local provider. Confirm on the TPR that they are listed for the BTW course you need.

Finally, once you have held your CLP for at least 14 days and both training records are in the registry, schedule your skills test.

To compare Class A, Class B and endorsement options side by side, see all courses. Whichever route you pick, the rule is the same: finish theory, finish behind-the-wheel, make sure both are reported, then go earn the license.