Transportation Monthly Round Up - February 2025
In this February 2025 round up, we will discuss a freeze on new regulations, changes coming to CDL driver medical certifications, and entry-level driver training. Let's get started.
The Trump administration has issued a freeze on new regulations. An executive order says agencies like the Department of Transportation cannot propose or issue any new rules or even guidance until newly appointed agency leaders have had a chance to review them.
As a result, the FMCSA has already withdrawn a couple of proposals that were awaiting White House approval, including a proposal to update the entry-level driver training rules and another that would have amended the safety regulations to account for the use of automated driving systems.
We reported on this last month but want to ensure that our listeners understand the current landscape.
Within four months, commercial driver’s license (CDL) and permit (CLP) holders won't have to submit each medical certificate to their state driver licensing agency (SDLA). No later than June 23, 2025, all SDLAs are supposed to get automatic updates from the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners (NRCME).
After the transition, carriers will still need to place motor vehicle records (MVRs) in the driver qualification (DQ) file within the required timeframe (to be determined by FMCSA but less than 15 days).
June 23rd and later carriers will no longer need to note that the certified medical examiner (CME) was on the Registry. Based on testing so far, updates should appear on the CDL record within 48 hours of the exam, depending on when examiners enter the results.
February 7th marks three years since the implementation of the entry-level driver training (ELDT) regulations. Currently, there are just under 40,000 training providers listed on the ELDT Training Provider Registry (TPR). That’s an increase of just over 15 percent since this time last year.
Concerns about this increase in training providers has prompted the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to begin taking steps to ensure all providers on the TPR are meeting the regulation’s requirements.
That’s it for this month’s round up. Stay safe, and thanks for watching.