Congress has voted to pass a six-year highway funding bill by the wide margin of 363 to 64, but only after lengthy debate over some proposed amendments to the bill. Contention over heavier trucks, CSA scores, fuel tax increases, carrier hiring standards, under-21 interstate driving, and approximately 70 other amendments kept Congress deliberating for two full days.
A proposal to raise the federal gas tax by 15 cents over the course of three years and then indexing it to the rate of inflation was struck down. Upon its defeat, the author of the amendment said how failing to implement a higher gas tax was “a missed opportunity to provide certainty for the hundreds of thousands of jobs at stake and give states and local governments the federal partnership they need and deserve.”
The amendment allowing heavier trucks was struck down after a majority of Congress sided with the TCA and other industry groups who had concerns not only about the safety of having heavier trucks on the roads, but also about how allowing larger trucks would affect small carriers. According to the TCA, increasing weight limits would prevent small carriers from staying competitive with the large carriers who would be able to afford the new 6-axle trucks.
One amendment that did pass was the proposal that requires the DOT to remove carrier CSA scores from public view and rework the entire program. The amendment requires the DOT to make “corrective actions” to the CSA program.
Perhaps one of the most contentious amendments was one that sought to ban interstate driving for commercial truckers under the age of 21. Currently it is legal when the young drivers are part of pilot programs which are seeking to determine how well they do with interstate driving, and the amendment was hoping to shut down those programs to close the door on any future legislation that would lower the minimum age of interstate commercial drivers to 18. The amendment was struck down, allowing the pilot programs to continue.
The highway funding bill will now go on to the Senate for further debate and approval where there will no doubt be additional amendments proposed, voted on, and either confirmed or shot down.
Jim Williams says
Allowing younger drivers is insane !!
Robert says
I agree for otr. Keep them local and teach them I say. It’s a good way to actually learn to drive. But giving them to swift or the like and cutting them lose on the interstate is just crazy.
James says
I’d rather have Tucson get used to driving down the interstate than driving through some of these crazy cities in heavy traffic
m sovine says
I would love to see the rookie programs with Swift, Werner, CR England and the likes to be shut down altogether. All these people do is hire rookie drivers and cut them loose in SLOW trucks that cause serious highways safety issues.
Michael says
They already do. Did you not read the article? The only thing this did was allowed the pilot program, that’s already been going on, to continue.
Wait what? says
That doesn’t make it any less insane.
Nat says
Yup the ones that make those rules must not be truck drivers. Putting drivers on the road under 21 is a disaster waiting to happen.
Mark says
yeah there are plenty of older drivers that are a disaster
Vic says
Yup. Tell that to a bunch of 88Mikes that have been in the sandbox at 18 and 19. In the past 20 years (not all of them as a professional driver), I’ve seen some absolutely stellar screw ups by 30 and 40 year old “professional drivers”. I’ve heard them MF me on the CB because I’m travelling at a safe speed on icy roads (not fast enough for them) considering my equipment, load, and the weather, as they blast past in excess of posted speed limits. Following distance? Speed requirements? Lane restrictions?
Yup. I’m good to give the pilot program more time.
Informed says
I agree good man, age doesn’t make a good driver, experience should but doesn’t always, there are mess ups in each group, if it’s handled like this maybe they will get weeded out sooner
Donna says
I agree, it’s insane
Dusty says
Age has nothing to do with it. It’s maturity level. I’m 20 and own 3 trucks of my own. I’m the 4th generation in my family to drive, never wanted to do anything else. I’ve been raised around O/Os my whole life and now I’m one and would love to take my Pete OTR. But hey, let’s not let me do it but let the guy who just set foot in a truck 3 weeks ago run OTR. But that’s ok, he’s 35…..
Kai says
You’re allowed to smoke and die for your country at 18, why not drive a rig?
Lee Tibbetts says
Here here. My transportation unit in Iraq had plenty of drivers under 21. They performed exceptionally.
Marius says
Really?! What is the temperature and the snowfalls quantity in Irak vs USA during the winter????
Terence says
I disagree, once these fly by night drivers start driving and they already have families they last 2 months otr. Start them young w/propper training. We were all green once.
J L says
Sure. They can kill terrorist in Afghanistan, drive tanks, shoot mortars, fly fighter jets, attack enemies worldwide, Be mothers and fathers, vote, but they are too young to drive a frickin truck.
GTFO
Chuck says
Looks like the megas successfully lobbied against public safety once again by wanting teenagers in interstate trucking.
Just like ELDs, teens are going to dramatically increase the crash rate of commercial vehicles.
Our congress is truly pathetic.
Wait what? says
And unsuccessfully tried to get heavier trucks on the road where they were shut down in favor of allowing smaller companies to get part of the share.
It’s not all bad news for the smaller guy after all.
No means no says
Not all mega companies were in favor of the heavy trucks.
TJ says
Did you read the article? Nothing changes. There are already pilot programs that allow under 21’s interstate training. All the new bill does is keep allowing it.
Jimmy says
no, they just feel their knees jerk and go with that.
tom says
If an 18 year old can go to war for his country he can certainly participate in interstate traffic. Chuck do you actually believe ELD’s have caused more accidents? Do you have any data to back that up?
Carl says
Years of insurance company data research has proven that drivers under the age of 24 are risks. Regardless of the age, I have seen more unsafe acts from inexperienced truck drivers in the last few years than I have seen in my 25+ years as a CDL driver. Age requirements and proper training is the only way to solve this. I’m a HazMat driver and a trainer… Insurance companies dealing with HazMat don’t allow carrier’s to hire under the age of 24 and have moving violation minimum requirements. I rarely have a driver I can’t pass for the driving part of the job. However, there are some exceptions. And most of those exceptions are closer to the age of 24.
Steve says
Tom,
An 18 y.o. that goes to war for his country has been through an extensive training program, is continually educated, and under constant supervision, all while trying to protect our country. An 18 y.o. in the states goes through a 3 – 4 week training program at a “CDL School”, where they only teach them how to pass the test, many of which fail repeatedly before they DO pass, knows nothing about driving a truck when they obtain that CDL, and more often than not, goes out with a trainer for an additional 4 – 6 weeks where they are simply used for additional income to the trainer, not neccessarily learning much more than they already knew. The only “benefit” is that they get to practice with some resemblance of supervision before being released out on the road with your family and mine, completely unsupervised for virtually the rest of their career, unless of course the make some mistake, which is normally overlooked if it’s not to co$tly, so, NO, it’s not even close to joining the military, and if you tried further to make that comparison, I would hope those with military service would not be too offended by your unsubstantiated remarks, after all, THOSE 18 y.o.’s, (and up), have a pretty damn good record compared to new CDL drivers.
Derek says
Seems to me the Training Programs/Schools need to be revamped then. My opinion is that an under 21 year old can and should be able to drive. They should attend schools that teach them how to drive, nutrition and exercise, the small business administration should be invovled, teaching them to write a business plan for independent trucking and contractor businesses. Something should be added to teach them the in and out of the transportation and logistics world. In addition, they should be taught and made aware of the shady crap they get caught spending money on such as lumper fees, how their carrier talks out one side of the mouth stating they will reimburse the driver then short changes them at pay time.
David Smith says
You hit the nail on the head. More to a truckers life than holding that steering wheel and being a stick jocky. I been out here 35 or 40 years and i learn and see new things every day.
Bobthenailer says
I have the service record and am not offended in the least. Under 21’s should be allowed But with extensive training.
Your comments and the desperation coming through smell of the fear of losing your job to a “young buck”.
How is an undertrained 19 different than an undertrained 30 yr old who barely speaks English?
J L says
No matter what, old grumpy guys hate everything they fear. There’s no evidence of more accidents when younger than 21yo are behind the wheel of commercial vehicles, but they will play the card of outraged members of society, just because they fear competition.
Rich Allen says
I was in the Air Force at the age of 17 years 4 mos. (Graduated high school early, and had parent’s signature.) So, I have used the “old enough to die for your country” argument myself, when I wasn’t allowed to legally drink.
It isn’t until you are 5 years older, at any age, that you realize just how ignorant that you were at that age.
The requirements to go to war are that you can be trained to follow orders, and can pull a trigger. In Vietnam, there were many 12 year olds shooting at American soldiers. Do you feel that those 12 year old’s ability to aim, and shoot, and die, makes them emotionally mature enough to operate a 3,000 lb. car that is capable of killing your girlfriend or mother?
When you are under the age of 25, you feel that you know everything, you are invincible, and you have total disregard for the impact that you have on everyone around you, but to make 25 the legal age of responsibility would be politically impossible.
There are statistical reasons that car insurance for males under the age of 25 are astronomically higher than they are for anyone else. Look at the accident statistics by age, and if you are as mature as you THINK you are, then those statistics should make it obvious, why putting the lives of the people you love, in the hands of the average 20 year old, driving 80,000 lbs. in bad weather, on icey roads, with low visibility, at 5am, under pressure to make a load on time, is a bad idea.
Bill says
I don’t need to look at data from some study. I ran with an ELD for 2 years as a company driver. I can tell you from personal experience that I never drove tired more often than with an ELD. Example: If I have a delivery at 6am and I’m 4 hours away at 6pm there is no way to stop and legally make that delivery. My only option is to continue driving til 10pm. Even though I may be exhausted. On paper I could stop at 6 and go to sleep for 8 hours. Get up and drive in for my 6 am delivery. ELD’s aren’t bad if you run a schedule for a company like UPS or Walmart, but if you run line haul and deal with multiple shippers and customers its hard. With UPS its all terminal to terminal. You’re in and out in under 30 minutes practically every time. In line haul it could be anywhere from 30 minutes to 6 or 7 hours…or more. But you still have an obligation to deliver that load when you said you would deliver it. You made a commitment to that customer. And they don’t care what your logbook says…you said you would be here. So if you’re late they may just find another carrier next time. Its a lot more complicated than most people think. And in the end the real question isn’t if ELDs cause more accidents. The real question is do they prevent accidents. And if there is no data to support this argument then they shouldn’t be implemented. It is an intrusion on the driver for something that has no safety benefit.
Ijk says
I’m a farmer who started driving before I was 18 and considering some of the stuff that happens on the road and my completely clean record i can’t quite understand why everyone thinks young equals stupid
bob says
The megas you refer to are responsible for almost every small carrier crushing regulation passed by Congress . Through the corrupt process of lobbyists buying our elected officials the mega carriers are monopolizing the industry and making it nearly impossible for small companies to compete. Don’t work for them.
No means no says
Most of the small carriers you’re so concerned about are their on worst enemies. They are the ones who have been breaking most of the laws concerning safety.
Eric D says
You do realize most states allow intrastate driving at 18 right? Same as I’ll bet you think a hazmat endorsement is 21 and up only too
Nat says
Guess they want to do this so they can blame us again and put more rules on us.
Marc Rosenberg says
Has anyone else noticed the TCA continues to claim how larger heavier trucks would hurt the small carriers. Common sense would seem to say a small carrier with just a few trucks and trailers could be ultra competitive in a few weeks swapping out equipment. Meanwhile the “big boys” would take years to catch up. So nice of the TCA to be looking out for the little guys…..
Tim says
Your logic is flawed. Most small carriers, buy used trailers.
Maxwelltie MacDuffy says
18 year olds work much cheaper than 38 year olds. Carriers need them to keep wages low.
And don’t quote that military service line to say they’re as good as older persons. If you’ve never had to hire people you probably won’t understand. The cream of the crop goes to the military where they WANT to be. Trucking draws the bottom feeders in the aquarium of life (amongst others) because they’re cheap.
Abner says
No, that’s not why. The reason is because most of the Old drivers are retiring, and the current generation of 21-30 year olds don’t want to be Truck Drivers, instead they are going to College. So there is a shortage of young career drivers. They want a way around that lack of demand, and want teenagers to get lured by the prospect of making a decent amount of money.
Marty says
No, the real reason mega carriers want 18 year olds is they are less workplace savy and more likely to put up with ridiculous work requirements, sorry pay, and substandard equipment. They looking for younger, more tender meat for their driver grinder.
Joe Rose says
I started driving locally as a teen. OTR for teens is a TERRIBLE idea! Getting experience driving locally is good because, they are in or near places that are familiar to them, and being home at night gives them the chance to build up the endurance and the mindset to do this job.
Rene marrufo says
I think it all depends on how the young driver was bring up since he/she was a kid, not all young are irresponsible, my oldest son is 16 and he behaves like a responsible 21 year old, proper training is a must from a young age, better drivers.
George Dorman says
Just happy I was able to make it to retirement
bob says
9 more months for me
Angelo Mack says
I just retired. My boys went to college. They will never drive a big truck!
Stephen says
So they’re going to hide carrier csa scores from the public? How about fair scores for drivers?
Woodstock says
What happened to the hourly wage they were going to implement for the drivers stuck at loading areas for extensive times.
Taylor says
The shippers association lobby took care of that.
C. S says
But you would proudly send your 18 year old off to die in another country. I know you don’t intend for it to happen but signing his or her recruiting papers while still in high school at 17 to be fulfilled at graduation is the same thing. It is all about education and training and believe it or not there are driver’s out there above 21 that don’t deserve to have a license let alone a CDL. I’m taking about those super truckers out there that can’t read a speed sign, force your way onto highway at on ramp cause your bigger, don’t know what a construction zone is, tailgate a car flash your lights and blowing your 300$ train horns to scare them out the way even though they ARE doing the speed limit etc. Get real, you can’t ask our sons and daughters to die for us but tell them we don’t want them hauling freight
Justin says
$300?! My Leslie’s were $900 what a crock. But I agree, when I see someone pull that kind of crap I get on my radio, usually it’s someone driving their buddy’s truck or one they just bought used from someone responsible that retired. As more people give up with this industry, we will see a lot more overnight super truckers.
scott bell says
The worst drivers on the road are the ones that have been out there for years,with bad attitudes, tailgating other trucks,or cars trying to push them down the highway. Running up beside the other vehicles cussing and giving them the bird ,thinking that they own the road like it was their driveway.The highway is full of them.
Mark says
Where do you think the bad attitudes come from? Between greedy companies, (trucking and shippers alike) bureaucrats and DOT, the driver is constantly getting screwed. Not that it is an excuse for dangerous driving.
Wayne says
Teens are ok if they are train right….I started when I was 16 slipping in the seat on them long haul rides today u can’t do that but when I started u could
Karen Ricardo says
The younger they are the less they can get away with paying. Sad.
Scratching my Head says
Drivers under 21 should only be allowed to driver lovely within their home state. It’s not to punish them, but to slowly introduce them to OTR.
Yes, I agree there are some youngsters that are probably more responsible then others. But the irresponsible youngsters that aren’t ready will only contribute to bad PR that OTR gets as it is.
Let them practice locally, I say.
Scratching my Head says
Sorry for the typo. Meant to type locally not lovely. ?
AD says
The Younger driver provisions and CSA score standard that just shut down a million trucks is enough justification for a full-blown walkout strike right now! With the rates being what they are and the freight/truck ratio being so low, you’re not missing anything shutting down for two weeks!
RenoBlues says
I learned locally at the age of 29 and that was still hard. I’ve been rear ended three times in five years, once by a drunk, once at a stop light and once when chaining on the shoulder with a bunch of other trucks. Keep those kids local and under your thumb. That way they make it home in one piece.
hergie says
I believe that if they want this they have drive with an experienced driver for one or more years and not this pitiful 200 hrs crap. That way they get real training and will actually know if they want the lifestyle or not.
JT says
I don’t think anything is wrong with allowing 18 year olds to drive interstate! I started at 19 when there was no such thing as a CDL. I had an Articulate License as they was called in New Jersey back when I started driving in the 80’s
MageAmenRa says
The younger they are the least likely to stay on the road. They are wanting to get married and start families, OTR is a family wrecker. Just shows how desperate corporate haulers are to seek drivers. When I was training we had a steady stream of very young drivers who were facing those issues. They had girls crying on the other end of a phone daily. The network relay type operations allows for more time at home.
Junior Rowe says
I read blogs everyday, on various highway and health publications, and they all agree that younger drivers hold a higher percentage of the accidentally deaths on the roads today. With that being said, how does it make sense to anyone that we should start allowing them to driver larger vehicles across the interstate?
I not only believe that we should stike this bill down, but completely end the pilot programs that allow them to drive intrastate.
If we’re going to have this discussion let’s address the real reasons behind putting them behind the wheel in the first place.
The large trucking firms are attempting to fix the trucker shortage problem.
It has become increasingly easier to persuade congress, through lobbyist, and financially more feasible to do so, than to negotiate a fair and working wage with the truckers.
Pay a living wage comparable to today’s growing economy would address this problem.
Staffing trucks with safe reliable drivers isn’t as hard as you actually it’s quite simple, merely provide the drivers with the pay packages and benefits that you promise them upon hire and this would be a step in the right direction.
Just a little footnote, ever notice how all of these truck driver job advertising come with Disclaimers immediately following the pay description? ( the little astrick *)
Michael says
I think if you as a driver have a son/daughter that wants to follow dad in the business, let that experienced driver teach child and pay him/her a percentage of team truck pay. They learn and don’t feel the pressure of being alone on the road. They always have the familiar face of family within a few feet if problems come up.
MageAmenRa says
My additional comment is to offer professional driver operator courses at colleges. The big companies really need to consider that if a person is schooled with a well rounded curriculum they not only become educated as a driver, but learn about the entire industry, learn about dispatching and brookering. They would be more committed to staying on the job, reducing the turn over rate. The colleges could go as far as to include the OTR freight hauling portion of training with proceeds of the loads going to the school. Income from a fleet would lower tuitions and provide funding for the school. The sponsoring company would share the profits while they train a driver coming from the school ready to be unit assigned upon graduation.
Apache Kid says
It won’t be long (2018) and MAP21 will require everyone in the nation that desires a CDL to attend an institution of higher learning (Department of Education or Higher Learning Commission) to attend a certificate bearing course before they are allowed to test/examine for their CDL. Not necessarily the solution but a start in the right direction.
Joseph says
I’m not so sure about that. I started driving when I was 17 years old in A commercial vehicle , they taught me how to go through the gear patterns within 3 hours and then he turn me loose with a set of doubles I hauled hay out of the hay fields in El Centro and Brawley back over the mountains into Temecula and San Diego, that was 37 years ago and I’m still going today, I have put over 6 million miles across the United States and Canada and Mexico. I’m all for teaching them while they are still young
Ed says
I will say don’t hurt your customers ask them not to use the big companies we will have to do more but if you can we can help each other
Charlie says
Our great lawmakers just shot small businesses in the foot and y’all are all torn up about younger drivers. Just another sign of the times. ATA paid for what they wanted with you super company drivers pay. Keep drinking the kool-aid, one day you’ll wonder if you could have made it on your own.
James Jolly says
I have been driving since I was 17 a friend of mine taught me how to drive he used to go to sleep in the bunk and I would drive interstate and wake him up when we got to his destination same way they did in the old days some of these 18 year olds will be better than what we have out here now Got my licence at 21 been out here for 25 years now legally at the ripe old age of 46 some people were just born to do this
Barry says
My strong assumes that all trucking companies will not hiring 18-21 for CDL A jobs because of insurance will hit thru the roof and give them job as truck washers .
Sean says
18 is WAY too young for anyone to drive a 40 ton vehicle IMO. Hell, I honestly think some 21 year olds don’t have the maturity to do so.
Dave says
They are looking to put younger drivers on the road, because the DOT has made the job so unattractive that no one wants it anymore. It’s a constant pain to keep the DOT satisfied, and every state has some little rule that is more strict than the FMCSR hand book states, that we have 48 different ways of doing the job. Legal in one state, isn’t legal in the next state. But that is fine with the DOT.
Donald says
The problem is with training, how long do you sit in drivers education in high school? Pass a law that requires at least 6 months of training to drive a semi truck
David Boswell says
I some what agree with the younger driver thing. But I be live. The gov. Needs to revamp the whole truck driver training program they should all be taught at community colleges. That are approved by dot. All driver trainers should also have to go thru a program and be certified
ALBERT DEDMON says
Think about this a minute, if that long. Older guys won’t work for peanuts where younger ones will because they don’t know any better. If your only alternative is flipping burgers for minnimum wage then driving a big rig is a huge increase in pay.
An ammendment I don’t see mentioned is one which reguires all drivers to speak English, and do it without an interpreter. How do you know the idiot behind the wheel of the truck that just cut you off at the fuel island even knows the open spot isn’t a parking place?
Chris says
Why does everyone keep saying there is a driver shortage? No such thing. That is something the mega carriers have made up. They buy thousands of trucks and can not keep them filled or give the drivers they do have any miles. If they would sell some trucks they would not have a shortage. Drive by the big yards and look at all the empty trucks but yet the drivers still do not get any miles. Sell some trucks and give the drivers 3000 to 3500 miles a week and higher pay. The so called driver shortage would not exist.
Steve says
I just posted this as a reply to one of the many that try to say, “If I/they/whoever can drink, smoke and die for my country at 18 . . . “, and decided I really wanted more to be able to read this. It’s simply not the same thing.
An 18 y.o. that goes to war for his country has been through an extensive training program, is continually educated, and under constant supervision, all while trying to protect our country. An 18 y.o. in the states goes through a 3 – 4 week training program at a “CDL School”, where they only teach them how to pass the test, many of which fail repeatedly before they DO pass, knows nothing about driving a truck when they obtain that CDL, and more often than not, goes out with a trainer for an additional 4 – 6 weeks where they are simply used for additional income to the trainer, not neccessarily learning much more than they already knew. The only “benefit” is that they get to practice with some resemblance of supervision before being released out on the road with your family and mine, completely unsupervised for virtually the rest of their career, unless of course the make some mistake, which is normally overlooked if it’s not to co$tly, so, NO, it’s not even close to joining the military, and if you tried further to make that comparison, I would hope those with military service would not be too offended by your unsubstantiated remarks, after all, THOSE 18 y.o.’s, (and up), have a pretty damn good record compared to new CDL drivers.
Bobthenailer says
And as I said above when you posted the same tripe……I have the service record and am not offended in the least. Under 21’s should be allowed But with extensive training.
Your comments and the desperation coming through smell of the fear of losing your job to a “young buck”.
How is an undertrained 19 different than an undertrained 30 yr old who barely speaks English?
Mike says
I have some 25 years of driving otr. And lately it just scares hell out of me when I pass some young driver probably still wet behind the ears, and, I see the phone in one hand and the steering wheel in the other. I have no qualms about drivers that are just starting out. Hell we all had to start sometime. But, they need to be trained correctly in the rules of the road and how to drive. There is no driver courtesy out there anymore. Used to be that when a driver passed you, you turned your lights on and off to let them know they were clear to move back over. Then they flashed their markers to say thank you. But I gues they don’t teach that in cdl school. I guess there’s just too many steering wheel holders and not enough Truck Drivers out there now. Oh well it is what it is but I gues there’s always hope.
Erik says
Yes sir
Tim says
Comparing the training given to a soldier by the US military with the ridiculously inadequate trading a steering wheel holder gets from Werner or Swift is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.
The military cares about the abilities and performance of their personnel unlike the mega trucking fleets that only care about moving freight with the cheapest and most easily exploited drivers possible.
scottie says
Wow you guys are all hung up on the age limit thing while the CSA rework is the biggest news of the century.
Bill says
Eric D…hazmat is 21.
Marshall says
****news flash****
Most 18 year olds have stars in there eyes they don’t dream about earning 60k at a dead end job the rest of there lives. First they usually have to fail at other aspects like college and such. So do t worry to much. Also it statistically proven that older people 65+ get in just as many accidents as the 16-20 range so where the driving age retirement?
Erik says
Interstate driving is the easiest driving. Putting younger drivers on local back roads is insane. The skinny road is no place for newbies.
Sam says
We all had to learn how to drive these big havey trucks. Yes swift and the likes cut rookie drivers loose way to early, but allowing an 18 year old to hold a Cdl is way to soon. They are still learning how to drive. So those of us that have been driving for years need to stop complaining about the rookies (we were all there ourselves) and help them out. How else are the rookies going to learn.