In just the last week of the comment period on a proposed program which would allow drivers aged 18-20 to drive trucks interstate, over 300 new comments were posted. With the total number of comments hitting almost 800, the comment period has been extended for an additional month.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) proposed the program which would allow CDL holders under the age of 21 to drive interstate. The goal of the pilot would be to see if the interstate driving age could lowered to 18 without negatively impacting safety.
According to the American Trucking Association (ATA), this “common sense” program would help to address the driver shortage. ATA President and CEO Chris Spear has called the program “critically important to the American economy.”
ATA and other large carrier groups have been pushing for a lower driving age for years. In the past they’ve lobbied members of Congress, but despite bills being introduced almost every year in both the House and Senate, they haven’t gotten traction – likely due to 18-year-olds behind the wheel of an 18-wheeler being a PR problem.
Now it looks as though that same issue is popping up again. The overwhelming majority of comments posted in the public register seem to be negative.
ATA has requested a month-long extension of the public comment period. In their extension request, ATA’s Vice President of Workforce Development Policy, writes that “ATA is continuing to gather safety performance data and other relevant information.”
Truckers now have until August 14th to submit comments on the program.
If you’d like to submit a comment, you can do so by clicking here.
Source: overdrive, FMCSA, truckersreport
Ist not going to work at all for most new drivers.
The accidents as well as deaths are going ti rise.
Absolutely!
Profit vs drivers… innocent public!
What does anyone” who knows” the industry! Think” will come to be?!
No brainer…
I started Driving when I was 18 never had a Car Junior Lisence In Pa It was the Best Thing that ever Happened I was Younger more Responsive to Situations Learned Things Faster and Had Three Years Experience before I was 21 to go Interstate If You are Legally a Adult at 18 So What is The Difference
Yes ,death toll will go up bet your boots on that….
I hope im wrong.
Heck if theyre allowed to murder people
Might as well be the same retards giving them guns and badges
I want drivers intelligence tested…as well as every other major occupation which has such resposibilities
You are right we need all responsible people in jobs that can kill or hurt the public to pass your ideal. Test.
Maturity and level of common sense derived from responsibility of being a young adult via experience is not adequate at this age. Structure and monitoring will be entirely different than if they were enlisted in the military. So that argument that they can join the military and be responsible for million dollar equipment is mute cause the scenarios are NOT THE SAME. Safety will get much worse before it would get better with this 18-20 interstate driver program. I’m animately against it !
If 18 year olds can drive intrastate now what’s the difference? Roads are roads. The safety aspect doesn’t magically change once you cross state lines.
Well, you know, we already allow anyone who wants to, to buy as much gasoline as they like, and gas is explosive – so why not let people buy dynamite? Pakistan and North Korea already have nuclear weapons, so why bother trying to keep them away from Iran?
That we would like to do more than we reasonably can, does not mean that we should do nothing, instead. That one bad idea is already in practice, does not mean that we should practice more of them.
It’s not the same as driving a car which younger drivers have shown that they don’t have brain’s to drive responsibility a car let alone a 80000lb truck.
Stay home and Xbox.
You will be keeping America safe.
they are having trouble driving cars let alone trucks !!!! For god sake grow some common sense .!!!!!
I am against it to. I don’t think a person is mature and responsible enough at that age. And about the “driver shortage”. There is no driver shortage. The big companies keep buying equipment and having so said shortage. How about they stop buying trucks and give the loads they can’t cover to brockers so that they can cover them with other carriers. There is no enough loads for carriers to haul and companies keep closing down and this people keep feeding us bulls&%@d about driver shortage. In past two years alone there were two companies that shut down. One from Ohio with over 500 drivers and now one from Minnesota with over 400 drivers. That’s arround 1000 unemployed drivers right there. Hire them and stop with this “driver shortage” nonsense
If companies would quit turning us qualified American born and raised drivers away so they can claim a shortage of drivers so they can get Mexicans from across the border to work for them. The government pays for their training even paychecks at some extent. Saves companies from spending. An 18 year old to 20. I don’t recommend it. By the Mexicans don’t believe our rules and regulations pertain to them. Their not from here. I hear it everyday.
WHAT??????🙄
There’s no driver shortage, its a ploy from the big mega carriers to keep the freight rates down trying to put the owner opps outta business
Well I think the age 18 is not the big Issue . I think it should be taken in to consideration the Knowledge of the individual and what I mean by that is simply this . Does the individual come from a Trucking Family , do they have roots planted in the Trucking Industry. I’m almost 70 years old and I started driving a Truck when I was 16 and that’s when I was able to get Drivers License in my State. THey at that time did not require a Chauffeurs License to drive Truck. I actually was driving one when I was like 14 in the yard and short distance to the shop or whatever. Here is the thing , I’m Old School and I believe Truck Driving is in Your DNA . You either have it or you don’t. When I was 18 I could drive a Truck better than some drivers I knew and they were in their 30′ or 40’s . It’s like I said I came from a Trucking Family and it was a Cake Walk for me. I know that would be a lot to Verify and then it still might not mean they are good at it . I’m just saying I think That Person would stand a better Chance at driving than an individual that has never even been around a Truck.
That’s all true driver but remember if this goes into effect, not all the kids they let into trucks will be from the same situation as you and I ! And you can’t just pick and choose which kids you let do it …
You are forgetting one thing this is not 1960-1970 years
Dear grandpa today these young individuals don’t care about you or any other mature adult. They want it their way. And if they kill others doing it they have us to blame because we don’t explain or teach them in a manner they can understand. In other words they know right from wrong and don’t care to pay attention to it. You would change your mind if it was your family injured or killed by them. You vote them in you give other countries the same age to operate a truck in the U.S.A.
Well put and absolutely correct.
The first three words you wrote is what scares me…
Great response
I’ve tried to contact potential employees and they do not respond. People don’t want to work anymore or they want something for nothing. There is s shortage of good truckers out there. Companies have to make money or they will shut down. It’s the way it is. There are too many regulations.
Understatement of the week! I am from an area where good trucking jobs are hard to find, so I went to work for a company in Ohio… some of the stuff I hear the other drivers complain about blows my mind!
Good people often leave trucking because the market is flooded with cheap labor – so it doesn’t pay to be a trucker. You have to either love it, or have no better alternatives – and if the latter is the case, then you probably aren’t all that great of a trucker, either. Companies create this situation by hiring cheap labor and using the cost savings to lower rates against one another until they can’t do business any other way.
It’s true that people want something for nothing, but this attitude of greed is not limited to the drivers. Corporate executives, stockholders, office staff, mechanics, regulators, shippers and receivers… it’s the way of our entire society.
If you want to point the finger at greed or sloth, there is plenty of blame to go around, for everyone. Find me one person anywhere who thinks that they make enough money for what they do, no matter what it is that they do or how much they make. You’ll be as busy for as long as Diogenes. Here’s hoping that you are more successful, less obnoxious, and meet a better end… 😛
No, apparently not too many regs…deregulation has proven trucking companies can’t run a business in the black. All trucking companies know is cut the carriers rate that’s in the customer now. “We’ll bring our rate up once we get in there and they see how good we are”. BS! The shipper is takin the cheapest rate today and they’ll do it again tomorrow.
Clearly trucking companies aren’t capable of running their own business or they wouldn’t need national account discounts….and STILL have to close their doors…We don’t need younger drivers that don’t have any respect for 80k of mass rolling down the road. I see it every day, kids in their 20s and 30s riding down the road with one foot up on the dash and completely oblivious, in and out of lanes, driving like a moron instead of an adult with respect to others on the road.
My neighbor works for a big construction co. They advertise for truck driver s and get a whole room of applicants. When he tells them they have to pass a drug test, half the room gets up and leaves.
J.C. there is a shortage of good truckers because nobody wants to pay the appropriate wages for experience.
18-21 yr old have some one looking over their shoulder when joining military
24/7.whom will be in that 80,000 pound killer?split decisions are there all the time and the right one will not be made.speed and power are on their minds at that age.ask the American auto ins about that.you will get a ear full.
We need to keep 18 year old kids out of over the road trucks .Fatal crashes went up after ELD mandate 8% they push drivers to drive 70 mph when that went into affect .When rates went up big trucking company’s swallowed up all the freight and bought trucks they did not have drivers for and claim there was a shortage .There was no shortage but there was hardly any freight left for owner ops what was left was so cheap can’t afford to take most of it .Everybody and their brother was buying a truck that sent rates in the hole .Now that they have had a chance to go bankrupt that is the only reason we owner ops are able to stay in .
Trucking companies are closing left right and center but these people want to push their fake shortage agenda JUST to bring the driver pay more down then it already has… ATA disappoints at times
All the time, along with most every trucking group that is only pushing the mega fleet agendas
I started trucking otr at 21 , and now that I’m 40 … I was definitely NOT mature enough at 21 what’s less 18 ! I’m sure other kids are more mature than I was but there are potentially lots more who are less mature too !!
These New Millinial CDL Holders cannot drive as it is and they are in the mid 20s. What the heck makes them think 18 to 21 year olds will be any better or safer?
You old adults cant drive. The people I see texting and driving are adults. We millenials had the ideas of no texting and driving, no smoking tobacco beat into us so much through advertisements. Our generation is not the problem, your generation is. Traffic laws have been beat into our young minds so much we are brain washed. Why did this happen, because your generation sucks at driving. We know how to looks ahead while driving, we watch other drivers to see what they are about to do, we follow traffic laws (minus the 5% of every generation who goes the racecar route). Just because your generation used to be and still is trash at driving doesnt mean outs is. Get your head out of ur phones and look around. Notice most of those stupid idiots on the road are YOUR age.
Doesnt matter what anybody says probably already been approved politician’s need to make it look like we have a say in anything they do
Most of you are missing the actual point of this push. Anytime the ATA desires anything its about one thing only, and that is crippling the competition ie small companies and owner operators. The ATA needs to drive down wages even more than they already have thus enabling them to lower the rates they can move freight at even more. The small companies and owner operators can barely survive now and the ATA companies are happy about it. If they drive rates down just another 10 to 15 cents they will have effectively taken over the transportation industry by forcing the competition out of business. Look at everything the ATA has supported over the last 2 or 3 decades. It’s all about driving down rates, driving up the cost of compliance, and over burdensome regulation.
RED you nailed it.
Lets face it drivers those people in washington dont know their rears from a wholein the ground. The only way to fix the problem is to replace them first. Then we put citizen legislators in washington that have common sense. Thenwe can start getting the industry fixed. The only other way is to shut these trucks down for a week and let the general public do the rest for us because when they cant get gas and groceries they will raise hell .
Bullsh*t. It’s all about being able to pay them less thus eventually replacing seasoned drivers with low pay newcomers. There is no driver shortage.
Why in a world ATA thinks we truck drivers are stupid,do they really think that we don’t know there is no shortage in truck drivers,only shortage is the freight ,bringing in more drivers ,especially those under 21 would only lower our potential earnings and create way more accidents. Some people say ,18 year go in military and handle weapons,right but they don’t know how to handle 80 thousand pounds weapon nor they have enough responsibility .so I’m strongly against proposed law.
Why do we not have enough responsibility. Sadly I see more adults texting and driving than young adults by a huge margin. You adults are too set in your ways, believing all these stereotypes. We know how to drive better than most of you lazy adults who cant learn a new thing because your too set in your ways. We understand to look ahead while driving, to not drivedistracted, to pay attention to other drivers. Why? Because it was beat in our heads so much during school because of all the mistakes YOUR generations made. We had what NOT to do beat into our head so much. Most trucks are governed at a set speed, tell me where this accident is going to occur? Because people are 18 they magically dont know how to look ahead while driving and follow traffic laws? That’s ridiculous.
I am intensely curious why the ATA can request a one-month extension, and get one… what was the reasoning behind that? Anyone else asks for something from the FMCSA, they reject it out-of-hand – you have to provide compelling reasoning to support the request, and even then it’s an uphill battle.
Why does the ATA get to say, “Well, we don’t like where this is going, so we’d like to see the comment period extended until people get tired of talking about this, so that they aren’t paying attention when the unpopular rule gets implemented anyway.” Anyone else, and the proposed rule would already be being withdrawn… What makes the ATA so darn special?
Millions of Lobbying Dollars. Vote with You and Families Best interests in Mind. No other Reasons Matters America will always be America. Dollar is King.
It’s called money. They are a huge lobby in DC and have been since before the Teamsters were a thing.
If they were honest, they’d be called ASA – American Shippers Association, because that’s who they represent.
Mr yowler, its because the ATA is run by the big mega company CEO’S that are all board members and can get whatever they want done, get the CEO’S outta the ATA then you might see a change
Remember it’s 80k lbs of rolling death that occasionally delivers freight
In some states if that 18 year old gets in trouble with the law the parents are stuck with them and responsible for them until their 21 years old. What does that tell you?
Foolish very foolish
Are you kidding me!
First you have to surgically remove thier phone from there head .
But then just try and see if you can remove them from their hands!
Two weeks ago I saw a driver who was was hauling class one explosives, speeding and texting .
He looked 30 + years old..
Government means (makes no sense).
Watch the fatality rate skyrocket.
Hopefully they will only kill the morons who impose such insane laws.
I’m sick of all this nonsense.
Professional Driver.
26 years otr.
Ya”ll havnt even made it clear to young 16 year old drivers of trucker hazards…….. We truckers cant be helded liable for dumb ignorant kids texting and driving and cutting us off, or passing us up and literally switching lanes without turn signals because texting is more important to them… I would support 18 year olds driving 80,000 lbs trucks if they take trucker hazard awareness classes teaching them why accidents happen and educating them how to properly maintain a safe semi on the road BUT it has to be a 1 year course with videos and so many pictures of accidents of people dying because of driver negligence….
Drives don’t be Mislead just because it’s says:Trucker Association doesn’t necessarily mean they’re fighting for Truckers Rights. We all Understand its about Money New Drivers make between 20 to 25 cents per mile. Especially with under Two Years Experience. The Big Companies are paying Millions in Lobbying Dollars to move it’s Agenda (low wage$).
I understand the thinking of those supporting this, a lot of young men and women have already begun training for their future career before they reach 21yrs old, supporting this would place those young people in the industry pool instead of them not being interested. The sad thing is a lot of those young people not interested or not planning for their career by 21 have already may have made other choices such as becoming a member of our armed forces, which their is nothing wrong at all with that. They may have made some bad choices also and gotten into some trouble with the law or drugs or gangs or something, and those are the ones that most companies need to stand clear from.
I do believe training for those under 21 and older needs to be a lot harder.
I been in this industry for 30 plus yrs and it is harder today than it ever was.
There is not a driver shortage! It’s high driver TURNOVER do to low pay, poor health care benefits, health disqualification, poor home time etc.. These companies are making billions and paying us poorly while living in trucks. They are searching for ways to get more bodies in seats and it’s a scary thought of lowering age limit just to put under age, under experience people in seats with public’s lives at expense. This is a horrible move but the wealthy will win with their LOBBYISTS who will convince Congress to allow law to pass!
Let them drive. How much worse than the millennial headset crowd could they be?
If they will at least pay attention to the task at hand, they might even become more than just steering wheel holders.
By the way, I have been driving for 40 years. Between the traffic and the lousy pay these days, I don’t know that there’s a lot to worry about in attempting to recruit younger drivers. When I started the money was good and it was fun! Now the money sucks, DOT has your number, and traffic of all kinds is a 24 hour a day quagmire.
Local, by-the-hour is the only refuge for someone like me.
Its population control
The reason I said that is people now adays talk and text the dam phone is more important than driving thers going to be a lot more accidents watch and see
I think that it should be, me and 4 of my friends started when we were 16-17 yrs old and we been at almost 40yrs now. I taught for 4yrs and let me tell you age does not make the driver.
First they need to teach the goofballs driving right NOW how to properly operate a truck. I drive local, night shift and most don’t use blinkers, ride in the hammer lane and my BIGGEST beef is the PHONES! We have enough 4-wheelers driving erratically while scrolling whatever without “professional drivers” being anything but and these clowns should’ve been around long enough to see bad accidents. At 18 you don’t have enough world experience to appreciate the horrible, potential outcomes. Granted, some mature quicker than others but how can that be gauged accurately? Eventually the demand will drop as it already has but I guess in the short term it’s more beneficial to endanger more folks than actually increasing pay to make driving more appealing. What do I know though….I’m just a dumb trucker.
I am 21, been driving accident free for about 6 months. I know that’s nothing in the eyes of some of you veterans and such. But really I dont see the aspect of where maturity comes into play. Rules of the roads are just like video games, you follow them and you practice. Just because someone is young doesn’t automatically make them a bad driver. That type of thinking is ignorant. Yea their first and 2nd week might be tough but whose wasnt!?
I dont see a problem with this, I think many of you are looking at stereotypes. If any 18 year old is looking at a trade like trucking at the age of 18 I guarantee they are somewhat responsible and will follow the rules.
You are also saying 18 year olds cant drive while there are plenty, plenty!!!, of grown adults. Civilians and truckers alike that are terrible drivers. Just terrible.
Anyone who disagrees please please tell me where maturity comes into play in what exact situations. Any exact situation that age difference matters. Because there is none, it’s how you were taught to drive, most teens know to look ahead while driving and follow traffic laws. Yall thinking of the stereotypes of the racer teens who most of which dont want to be a trucker becuz they slow and truck are governed in most company cases.
Unreal, I can’t believe I Read this today.
18-20yrs old driving a 80k moving Truck…
These kids are all about Social media these days…do I need to go deeper into details?
Imagine an 18-20yr old driving a Commercial truck while trying to read/reply to a text. That’s Beyond scary, they dont teach you or simulate reaction timing in critical situations! Its all about the Money Lets all stop be real, they are not worries about the lives of people. (Unreal)
Myself I don’t have a issue with the 18 year old driving a truck because if your old enough to serve and die for your country you should allowed to to anything you want as long it’s legal and your trained. Also I’ve met some 18 yr olds more mature than most truckers out here now. Now I do think there should be some stipulations and guide lines that need to be followed like there driving history since they became a licensed driver should be one of the important ones because bad driving habits can be hard to break for some. I don’t think I will feel any less safer than I do now with a 18 year old behind the wheel versus a 21 year old behind the wheel.
I think you would be one of the few not feeling less safe.
The industry has a bad enough reputation thanks to the large carriers’ practices already. This will only make it worse. This kind of solution shouldn’t even be an option. There are millions of people over 50 years old who can’t retrain through college and can’t start life all over again with a new career. But they could easily drive a truck. Their families are grown and they could leave the house and hit the road. And be wise and safe. But these same people are so wise that they know better than to give the trucking industry one minute of their time. What has this country come to? That we are willing to sacrifice our youth for a profit instead of letting those who have made it through all of the hurdles that this country has to throw at them fail, only to further foster an unsafe transportation environment. And there are unmanned semi trucks being tested out in the open on public roads. Trucking…….. an industry of sheisters who will do anything for a profit. No one has any respect for greed. It is one of the deadly sins.
this is tied to autonomous trucks. We know they are pushing autonomous trucks and now lowering the driving age. The driving age will ABSOLUTELY be lowered. There will be very little interest from this generation and a minuscule amount of drivers added. There will ABSOLUTELY be accidents caused that will be attributed to young/inexperienced drivers.
The lack of drivers added and the increased safety risk will be fuel for the autonomous trucking agenda.
Find a new career NOW before you’re ALL looking for a new career at the same time!
Every time they say “common sense” you can be assured it’s exactly the opposite. There is no driver shortage. There is a shortage of companies willing to pay a fair amount for the crap you have to take being a driver. Now companies are relying on electronic nannies to let them know if you’re going over the posted speed, or driving too close, or if you cross a white line. It’s only going to get worse. I just hope I can make it 22 more months until I retire.
I say I dont think the 18-20 group should be allowed to operate more than 100 air miles from their home terminal. I feel thee will be a lot of abandoned trucks. Once these kids get pissed off at their bosses because they dont get what they want they will bring on the tears and end up in mommys arms again. Most kids who just graduated from hs never leave the house til their 30s or wind up back 5 times. The thought of 18s trying to handle an 80k pound vehicle is a disaster waiting to happen… maybe after a few years in the armed forces is the answer if they want to drive a truck for a living… there they will have to learn how correctly and then they should have a feel for the big time.
I’m going to say this. As a former driver there is no way a 18yo kid could handle this job fresh out of high school and never worked before. However I coukd see them being put with a veteran driver for 1 or 2 years for on the job training and then sure let them drive truck because then they will have the knowledge and ability to perform the long hours required with this life changing career.
There’s no driver shortage, its a ploy from the big mega carriers to keep the freight rates down trying to put the owner opps outta business
Companies should care more and pay more to drivers. It is not rocket science. There is no shortage of drivers. They want to pay less for everything to make big profits. Every company is same. They pay you miles driven and all rest is free. Hooking and dropping trailers, pre and post trips, on duty time and much more… Pay more and will be no retention. Drivers will stay in seats the will not change companies …
So now we open the flood gates to hell…Just watch how many expert CDL drivers start coming over from other countries too…oh and we will surely allow them to take the test in their native language…Last time I checked our signs are in English…Good thinking FMSCA….Casualties will be on the rise, then they will change the law again, once enough innocent victims are lost…
Wake up, before its too late…
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