Truck drivers in West Virginia may have heard about a rule called Minimum Training Requirements for Entry-Level Commercial Vehicle Operators. It was supposed to take effect on Feb. 6. However, a Jan. 20 memorandum from President Donald Trump effectively delayed its implementation.

The order from President Trump ordered a 60-day freeze on new rules as well as those that had been published but had not yet taken effect. This means that the training requirements rule won’t take effect until March 21 at the earliest. It is possible that the rule could be delayed again after further review from the president and his staff. However, the FMCSA did not push back the February 2020 deadline for compliance with the new rule.

The new rule would apply to truckers getting their CDL on or after Feb. 7, 2020. They would be required to take a core curriculum in a classroom setting as well as have some level of training behind the wheel. While an initial draft of the rule proposed 30 hours of training behind the wheel, the final rule does not have any minimum hour requirement.

Those who are involved in accidents with commercial trucks may suffer serious injuries. If driver negligence caused an accident to happen, that driver may be held liable for damages. An injured victim might be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages and lost earnings. An attorney may prove negligence by showing that the driver was not properly trained or experienced enough to drive a commercial truck. If a driver was not properly trained, the employer could be liable for damages in an accident case.