Potential new bus drivers should get their training soon

The Decorah Community School District is reminding people who want to drive a school bus should begin their training soon.  
That's because new federal legislation about bus driver licensing will go into effect next February.

The "Entry Level Driver Training" (ELDT) program is part of a new federal transportation bill aimed at helping to reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities involving buses and large trucks.  ELDT will apply to new first-time CDL applicants, current CDL drivers wanting to upgrade their licenses or previously disqualified CDL drivers seeking to reacquire a license.  The new legislation will have no effect on current CDL drivers or school bus drivers.

The most important thing for potential new school bus drivers to remember is that an ELDT program must be completed prior to getting a CDL license from the Iowa Department of Transportation.

For more information, e-mail Decorah School District Director of Transportation Jim Samuelson at jim.samuelson@decorah.k12.ia.us