Texas Border Business
HARLINGEN, Texas – Texas State Technical College’s Workforce Training department will update its commercial driver’s license (CDL) training to meet compliance as an accredited program for the new Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) that will take effect Feb. 7, 2022, and be overseen by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
The ELDT regulations apply to those seeking to obtain a Class A or Class B CDL for the first time; upgrade an existing Class B CDL to a Class A CDL; or obtain a school bus (S), passenger (P) or hazardous materials (H) endorsement for the first time.
TSTC’s Professional Driving Academy offers an in-house written exam and a hands-on driving test, and serves as a third-party Texas Department of Public Safety testing site.
Juan Hernandez and Robert Ramirez, TSTC CDL instructors, added they are state-certified examiners.
“(My) team is tech savvy, and we will be in compliance,” Hernandez said.
In the four-week training program, entry-level students learn how to conduct a pre-trip inspection and demonstrate backing and parallel parking skills, among other requirements.
Veteran drivers seeking to add an endorsement to their license can register with the TSTC location in Harlingen.
The course length is 160 hours.