Members of Congress have re-introduced the so-called DRIVE-Safe Act. The proposed legislation would allow drivers as young as 18 years old to drive CMVs in interstate commerce.
This is the third time that the legislation has been introduced since 2018. In both 2018 and 2019, it never got enough support to even be brought to a vote.
It wasn’t reintroduced in 2020. That year, groups advocating for lowering the driving age including the American Trucking Association (ATA) were successful in lobbying the DOT to implement pilot programs which would allow under-21 drivers. But with a new administration in the White House, those programs look like they may be on the chopping block.
So once again, the Developing Responsible Individuals for a Vibrant Economy (DRIVE-Safe) Act has been reintroduced.
The bill would allow a creation of what is being referred to as an “apprenticeship program.” A CDL holder under 21 years of age would be paired up with another driver. During the course of the apprenticeship, young truckers would need to complete at least 400 on-duty hours including 240 driving hours.
The driver that the young trucker is apprenticed to would be required to be at least 21 years old with at least two years of experience driving. They must have had no reported preventable accidents or “pointed moving violations” in the past year.
In addition, the young truckers would be required to drive vehicles which are equipped with multiple “active safety measures” including active collision mitigation, a dashcam, and a speed limiter set at 65mph or less.
Once the apprenticeship has been completed – a task that could take as little as a month – the 18+ driver would then have an unrestricted CDL.
You can see the bill in its entirety here.
Source: truckinginfo, overdrive, USSenate
Complete idiots for even talking about this abomination which will kill many people & destroy millions of dollars in property. Under 21 CDL is hazmat at it’s greatest. It must NEVER BE ALLOWED!
As long as us truck drivers allow it and don’t say anything and don’t stop the truck still going to keep shoving shit down our throats end of conversation that’s a fact Jack if we except it they’re going to keep shoving it down our throats you give up your rights they going to keep putting it to us more regulation after another after another quit being a snowflake and do something about it
Slave labor the goal.
Bad idea, its bad enough that there are foreign nationals that came to the US and are operating commercial vehicles many of whom have questionable driving habits and didn’t get the proper training to be out on the interstate. Letting 18 year olds out there only adds to the chaos that exist already. Waiting till their 21st birthday is the smart solution.
Yep you’re Wright driver slave labor these mega carriers want 18yer old for cheap labor they thank that he’s living at home with mommy and daddy so we won’t have to pay him as much.
He,won’t be living at home anymore, he’ll be living in his brand new latest greatest condo truck ,delivering freight all across America for pennies on the dolllar
pennies on the mile, my friend, on the mile.
Yeah take notice that they also want the drivers to be restricted to 65 or slower mph. That is definitely a mega carrier wet dream because they are the only ones running 65 or slower.
At the age of 18, you join the military, can hold a gun and go into war, but you can’t drive across countries!!
What wrong with this picture??
In the military you are not by yourself in a vehicle at 18,
Whats wrong with this picture is that ALL 18 year olds should mandatorily be required to serve at least one term in the military to teach the responsibility and love of country. Then when they get out at age 22 they will be able to drive a semi tractor trailer safely across this great nation that is becoming less great with the current fraudulent administration!
That’s bs,why should u join army to get something u don’t get at home ,come on get with total picture, stop blaming society, just blame herself for being self righteous jerk off
I couldn’t agree with more.
Let’s hope family isn’t around to find out, your thought process I don’t get, but your quick to say that young 18 year olds can go into the military and handle weapons and face gruesome wars, battles, but you fail to understand, what do think an 18 year old behind a 80,000 pound truck would do if that truck got away from that driver, or that driver got distracted, hit and killed a family just driving around, you really need to put more focus in what you state before you put your foot in your mouth
And being trained by companies like CR England. In my son’s class, within a couple months of training, the had 3 fatality accidents.
Cr England a joke on wheels
let em drive ,like in military they aint gonna do diddly but make low wages and endanger people
In war you are killing the enemy. Here you are killing your neighbor.
Might kill u too dude
Just another way to hire cheap inexperienced employee
It’s a disaster in the making.
Possibly another method to get this questionable technology on all trucks ie. Speed limiters, auto braking systems ect.
More micro managment. No I don’t agree with this bill. How about a real apprenticeship program.
The next thing will be the Diaper Fleet. Its just the Mega Carriers trying to make more profit.
i thought they have a diaper fleet already
The apprenticeship program should be one year to experience all types of weather during the four seasons. One month OTR is not enough time.
THE SUCIDE BILL😱
Testosterone and trucking don’t mix.
You are absolutely right.
The young drivers we have in their 30’s are aggressive i noticed.
I studied they way hormones effect men and women and the male hormone testosterone is at it’s peak for a male between the ages of 18 through 25 years of age.
I was a trainer for mega company for 15 years and stopped training cause we didnt have any say so that the student wasnt ready to solo,they wanted them soloing as soon as possible
If you want the YOUTH driving, put them in yard Jockey positions. Where you can clean up DAMAGE within a SMALL SPACE. The Youth ISN’T MENTALLY READY FOR THE CHALLENGE OF TRUCK DRIVING. Road Rage, Speed, Weight and Damage Control, Human LIFE and Destruction of Roads, Businesses, Life, Insurance Prices Higher, Increase Prices of products ( Government STUPIDITY). NO STUDENT S.
You was a student at one time driver because ya have years underyour belt now doesnt mean you didnt have the same issues when you started out ive been driving since i was 18 before you get the idea im a knew driver its up to us to teach the younger drivers the way of doing things not discourage them thats the problem with drivers now a day when i staryed everyone helped every one
Key part “problem with drivers now a day does not helped every one”
When i started driving in March of 2006 after I received my CDL after attending a driver school ( C-1 truck driving school in Strafford Missouri ) i was hired on to a local reefer company and drove with the older day cab drivers that had retired off of OTR for two months and I learned as much as I could from those two gentlemen, I had a great experience and learned about their experiences when they had drove OTR .
I went out by myself on the big road but I really shouldn’t have by myself as I was a rookie and female and boy did the hounds come out , finally I met a driver at a company that I was driving for ( Swift ) at the time and he was a lease purchaser and he had been with swift for 29 years, he had started with swift at 22 years of age when swift was still a little company hauling hay back then.
We met and fell in love and I got on his truck and then my training really started. Lol!
I learned so much from him and so thankful that he had come into my life . I lost him in May 2017 due to a major heart attack, he passed in his truck by himself . Sure do miss him.
Anyway he was a hard ass on me but I really am thankful he was , he made me challenge myself in such a way that I really don’t think he even realizes.
I couldn’t agree more with your post. When I gave up on off road gravel hauling in 1959 I got a job with Trans America Freightlines. They bent my nose all out shape by assigning me to the lowest of the low for a wanna be OTR: I was assigned the yard monkey job doing nothing but docking trailers and picking up trailers around New Jersey.
In the end, I could thank that long defunct company for training that stayed in my brain for better than 50 years of an OTR career. We
I agree.. put them in a highly supervised off road merry go round for two years.. like ore haul.. oil fields drive in the dirt until your 21.. small local mine hauling 495 tons at 25 mph.. or military.. then a one year strict ride and train program otr.. to bridge to legal paperwork age.. adult.. not child.. not teen. We have enough stupid aggression out here.. teach privilege of driving, “regard for human life” and other vital courtesies. Really you greedy pigs.. teach “safety”. Where are the 18 year old girl friends, boyfriends and stuffed animals gonna get dropped off?.. not to mention puppies? Can anyone manipulate a naive mind? Lookout maybe GOV/DOT will put teens on hazmat border-crossing?
Hell I’m 62 and I’m not ready for that crap either but have done it over 40 years
I always thought this as a bad idea. To put a youngster barely out of high school, barely enough experience behind the wheel of a car into a 80,000 lb cmv at 70 ft long. I foresee greater numbers of cmv accidents and insurance rates skyrocketing.
I in no way endorse such absurdity that obviously endangers people.
everyone relax. they just want to get these kids a little bit of actual experience before they become remote pilots who navigate the drone trucks from their couch next year when the drone trucks start pouring out. your time would be much better spent brushing up your resume than reading this article. the time is near.
What do you think is on our resumes? Driving, driving, and driving. When autonomous trucks come for our jobs, we won’t have any other marketable skills, and most of us will be old enough that going back to school will cost more than we can earn back in a new career, in the time we have left in the workplace. Reading this article is the most productive thing that we CAN do…
You on top of the game!!this been in makeing,that explains why they coming whit all the rule,regulations change
Lol! That was a good comment, made me laugh and it could come to pass someday.
dont worry ,georgie ,they and u and me will be replaced by driverless trucks ,so who cares how old they are
I wouldn’t dought these tuck manufacturers. Support this with all theses automatics out here think about it.
I had auto for a,few years ,went back to 10spd ,problems with auto ,I’ll stick with shifting
Can’t be any worse than what we see today. What with common sense being scarce. And these aren’t always young guys.
But with more drivers there will be a need for more parking places. Since the Kung Fu Flu hasn’t taken any of us out, Like they were whining about, Where are you going to shutdown?
Personally if I can’t find a safe, legal place to park, I don’t stop. Even on a 1300 mile trip, No place to park< I will keep rolling.
Snitchy computers make it untenable to keep rolling past log limits… But since computers don’t need sleep, they won’t take up parking spots when they start driving. Plenty of parking, after that…
No but they will need to charge and that take a lot of time, I believe I read just bout the 10 hours for a full charge.
try getting anyone to drive a big truck,and its really hard ,but if u want some kid ,he may be more dedicated to the job ,better than flipping burgers
Fair dinkum I’m a Aussie Truckie of well over 30 years (road train,Interstate,heavy haulage,and more) I bought my first cab over Kenworth when I was 19 years old !! We where different back then ? I was of the farm as well,,, Stone the crows I think 18 is to young ,,, God bless all you Mob..
Lol! That was a good comment, made me laugh and it could come to pass someday.
wow.. cheers mate.. keep on truckin!
I’ve been over there, Aussie driver pull 4 trailers change their own tires manly man drivers ,un.like here in America, where we got steering wheel holders and wanna bes
I don’t know what all your problems are. Most of us old hands have had a commercial license since we were 17-18. I just turned 66. So my commercial life is 49 years young. Gotta start somewhere.
I’m all for it. If an 18 years old can go give his or her life for the country fighting for freedom and democracy they can surely drive a vehicle here.
I can see these new drivers entering the industry to make teams and get experience. What the law should prevent is the companies or schools from making them sign leases or any kind of restricting contract.
They should be free as a bird to quit at any time, because they will.
The main reason that young people are allowed to die for their country is that old people get to decide who does so, and they don’t want to do the dying, themselves.
The most common reasons that young people volunteer to die for their country are economic, not patriotic. If you keep people poor enough, long enough, they finally get desperate enough to do anything – even drive a truck. Or, you know, die in a country they’ve never heard of, for a cause that they don’t understand…
Very well said MrYowler…..bravo!!!
I had a couple of cracks at it at 15. Slip seat, parking lots. Pretty scary. T 17 I went OTR with my brother who got me to be able to pass the State DMV on my 18th birthday. Could only drive Intra CA til 21. But CA is a huge State with every environment so plenty of learning. I believe it’s a case by case basis and should start out “regional”. The Feds allowing full Interstate to 18 year olds is not a good idea. It’s being pushed by Mega Carrier Greed. Which brings up another thing to the comments of Autonomous trucks. YES they are here and expanding but never will they replace a large percentage of Driver jobs. Trucks can’t load cattle, dispense fuel, lay pipe, unload commodities, service every residence, dock, business, navigate every hill, detour, lane or driveway. etc. etc. etc
Sure it will replace some steering wheel holders. That’s about it.
Bad enough with illegals driving, now we will have babies. The roads ain’t safe anymore.
Personally think that they should be farther along the learning curve of driving ANY motor vehicle, much less a 70’ 80,000 lb monster. Or require an much more extensive training program.
There’s no mercy in the laws of physics. You’d better know how they’re going to be applied in every situation driving a big rig.
Or, count the extra casualties as the cost of getting your Amazon on time.
The thought of self driving trucks – and cars, too! – is downright scary! But then, so are some of these Werner and Swift trucks that have drivers with a pulse – BARELY! What happens when a sensor(s) fails and the truck doesn’t know it’s on snow or ice, or coming up on traffic or pedestrians, or a curve or the wrong lane? How and where are you going to make the transition from the highway to the city? Surely they won’t try to let self driving trucks navigate crowded city streets. Ya, let the young kids learn. They’ll quickly decide if it’s the life they want, or get over “the glory”.
Mr Barreras how are you today.
I am definitely opposed to the hours factor of learning.
that is not appropriate and they need to be behind the wheel almost 6 months before they can actually drive on the road with a trainer for minimum of three months they are too young they want to go too fast and they would have to be a limit as to their speed limit 68 Max
I am opposed this could create major accidents.
Although if they had to spend 6 months behind the wheel and qualified with an appropriate School. This could take place but not without a 68 mph speed limit until they’re 21
I think this is a good idea.
The trainer should have a minimum of 5 years experience.
I started ticking when I was 16 years old before I ever went interstate I had a half a million mile behind the wheel on gravle roads and 2 lane black top hi ways. At 18 I Owen my first truck a 1965 cab over white with a big cam 11 cummings and 5 and 3 on air pulling a 40 steps deck that was back in 1978 .when I went. Inter state my first trucking job paid 25 % of gross on heavy haul mileage came into play for me in 1985 and then I was getting 22 cents per mile on all hub miles. I am pushing 60 and I don’t see where these companys have ever come of their 17 cents per mile crap and lie to the students big time pay needs to come up .today I am a hot shot owner operator some time I haul a cheap fraigt rate to get of some place like Cali.my insurance company won’t let me hire a driver under 25.
What is not being said, is that if you’re 18 years old in most places I’m aware of you can drive 80,000 lb in your state all day everyday as long as you’re following the law. What difference does it make when you cross the state line? There’s a lot of liberal ridiculousness in the comments here. Don’t we want to encourage our youth to be responsible and independent? Or do we need to babysit them till they’re 31 why not 41?
How about just reinstate some of these drivers that let there CDL expire but want to go back to the profession with out having to go back through all the training again . I got 28 years OTR safe driving I think I know how to drive a truck still without spending a fortune to teach me something I already know. I’m sure there’s others out here in the same boat.
You can join the military and go fight and die for your country at age 18. But you still can’t go into a bar and have a beer. But now the government wants to put an 18 year old KID behind the wheel of an 80,000 pound missle. The age to get a CDL should be 25 not 21 or 18. These kids today are immature,irresponsible, and certainly not ready for such a responsibility. ( most of them). But with the quality of drivers out there today what’s the difference if you have a few more unqualified dangerous drivers out there ??? Trucking used to be a profession, now it’s just a low paying crappy job that anyone can do, and do poorly. The mega carriers and the greedy government have certainly ruined what was once a good paying and noble profession. I can go on and on with what else ruined trucking but it’s not politically correct. All of you older PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS know exactly what I’m talking about….
Guys I have to disagree with many of the post on this thread. When I was 16, I had just graduated from high
school in Detroit when my father was working on a major road construction job in Northern Ontario in Canada. He phoned home to tell me that contractor was having a terrible time finding drivers for their fleet of gravel trucks; box & semi. I ended up on a 22 yard semi by September. Still 16 years old and drove that Ohmaha through out the winter & following summer. I was hired on full time and ended up hauling their heavy equipment from job site to job site. It was not until July 4 of 1964 that I got my first traffic violation; speeding.
If these 18 year olds are trained properly, they can be and will be just as safe on the road as an older driver.
This about getting people into the trucking industry that want to drive truck as a profession. The industry is full of ( i just need a job , driver’s) and i dont see that working out very well . I know from experience that drivers stay in trucking if you start at an earlier age. Has ANYONE started at the top of the pay scale when you started driving , i didn’t. We all have to pay our dues when we start . It’s far easier to do that when you are young . The trucking industry is missing out on talented people that go and pursue other careers instead of waiting to be old enough to drive truck . ( I started driving truck 42 year’s ago, regional interstate at 17 ) . Thank you.
Recipe for DISASTER!
With training until 18 year old is proven should be ok but some may need a few weeks and some may need a few years? Don’t set a time minimum or maximum but only when young driver is ready then let them run country wide
Moderation?
I would be open to this happening if the following conditions were met.
1. 2 month training period while they get their cdl.
2. 1 year training period with a driver that has no less than 10 years experience and no accidents or tickets. 6 months as a solo driver while the trainer sits in the passenger seat. 6 months as a team with the trainer.
3. After the 1st year they do dedicated regional runs for 6 mths.
4. They cannot lease a truck until they have 5 years experience.
5. Under no circumstances do they work for a self insured carrier until they are 25.
6. Any accidents or tickets before they are 25 or they lose their cdl until they are 25.
7. The carrier they work for must have a CSA score of 90% or better.
8. NO FOREIGN DRIVERS ON WORK PERMITS!
This won’t solve it all but it would help.
I love the “multiple”active safety measures” line. I owned and drove the same truck for 18 years and 2 million miles without a single accident. The only active safety measure was me. I sold my truck last fall and have been driving for a small local company part time. Their trucks have collision avoidance systems with emergency braking. A couple of months ago while going through an intersection with a curve in it, the braking system picked up a car in the turning lane and slammed on the brakes. If I hadn’t been paying attention it would have forced me over and I would have rear-ended the car. You can keep your “nannies for morons” driving system. It’s foolish to believe that safety systems can overcome a stupid driver. Swift can verify that!
I’ve said this is a bad idea years ago anyone under 23 and a lot of companies are not hiring you under 23 that is their regulation damn to government if the company doesn’t want to hire you because of their own regulation that’s their prerogative
Most of the military vehicles are speed restricted to 50 MPH.The majority of miles the 18 year old military drivers are doing are off road or in a military reservation with very little traffic to deal with. I would not question their abilities but the decision making .
Here is what the institute for highway safety says about young drivers.
They’re inexperienced
They’re more likely to speed
They’re less likely to wear seatbelts
They drive more recklessly and make riskier decisions
They’re not used to driving at night
They don’t understand the dangers of driving drowsy
Wow where to start. First, stop with the “its all the foreign drivers fault”. Oh BS its everyone’s fault. The “Me Generation” if you will. Second, as far as letting 18-20 year olds run interstate, let me just say Texas. An 18 year old can hook a trailer in Dallas deliver in Orange, deliver in El Paso, return to Dallas. Run all those miles and never leave the state. Do everything an interstate driver does. So why all the whining??
I will point out that I don’t agree with the concept only on the lines of wages. This will be a quick slide to cut wages. Years ago in other industries it was “hire this experienced person at $X or i can hire these 2 inexperienced people paying out $X.” Same amount twice the labor.