The American Trucking Association has announced their agenda for 2015 which predictably lists HOS fixes and highway funding at the top of their priorities, but they also have one goal that’s a bit of a surprise. They want to lower the minimum driver age to 18 years old.
Currently, the federally mandated minimum driver age for Class A CDL drivers is 21 years old. There are multiple reasons for this, but the prevailing logic is that driving is dangerous, driving big trucks even more so, and teenagers tend to be bad drivers.
According to some however, a minimum age of 21 could be a leading cause of the “driver shortage.”
Dave Osiecki, Executive Vice President of the ATA, has says that trucking is missing out on a lot of drivers because when kids graduate high school, those who don’t move on to college go to trade schools or into another profession – but due to minimum age requirements, that profession is never trucking.
“We all know the 18- to 21-year-old period is a time where we lose kids coming out of high school that don’t go to college but go to trade schools and into construction and other competing industries,” Osiecki said.
He does admit however that “Not every 18- or 19-year old should be behind the wheel of a truck,” and points to good training and proper oversight and monitoring as a way to make sure these kids stay safe behind the wheel.
The ATA aren’t the only ones who think lowering the minimum age is a good idea. A rapidly aging work force with only a few younger truckers joining every year doesn’t paint a good picture for the future of the industry’s work force. Shannon Newton, president of the Arkansas Trucking Association, shines some light on the grim situation in an interview with Arkansas Online.
“[The trucking industry] employed significantly more drivers in the 80s and 90s,” Newton said. “If you imagine, at that time, we attracted people who were somewhere between the ages of 25 and 40. Then you fast-forward 20 years, we still employ those same people. That does not set up for the future of the industry.”
Next Story: REAL Women In Trucking Gets Its Wings
Source: overdrive, arkansasonline, ccj
Image Source: Mashable
El Paso ! Bad Move !
Ya know,I’m always hearing on Sattelite Radio, about OUR Profession TRYING to Improve it’s Image !
Well,In My opinion,if some Kid gets out of a 80,000 Pound Missle ! that was just in a Major Accident ! ( God forbid that had fatalities ! ).
That IMAGE is not going to get any better ! ( can you Imagine Our : ‘ If it Bleeds !
It LEADS Media ! ‘ ).
Play it safe : 21 Sounds More Responsible ! Than 18. ( Because 18 year old’s still have LEAD FOOT’S ! ).
Good Luck to US ALL !
That’s simply nonsense. First of all there ARE 18-21 years olds driving now, the fact that they can’t leave their state changes nothing. In fact the point that they are all local and many times city drivers ads to their driving ability if anything. So your OK with an 18yo being issued a rifle and fighting and possibly dying for this countries freedom, but not driving a truck? C’mon now.
Being in the military is NOT the same as being an OTR driver, or any combo vehicle operator.
The reason 18 year olds are issued rifles is because they think they are indestructible. That’s okay on the battlefield versus the enemy, on the highway with civilians – not so much.
Yes!
Good Lord, I can just see the eighteen-year-old me behind the wheel of an eighteen-wheeler! Not a good idea.
Iv bin drivein sense i was 18 im 19 goin to b 20 this year and i lost my job drivein a farm tag truck i havent had any accidents or anything i think the age she b 19 or 20 to b able to drive i was fine at the age of 18 because iv bin around trucking my whole life so it was easy for me to get the hang if it im the same way i do t believe every 18 year old belongs behind the wheel of a truck its all on wht u know u have to treat fhat truck and trailer way different then u do ur normal everyday vehicle
I agree with you, in that there are many city/local drivers that’re 18. I feel like the concern may rest more upon the lengthy driving of longhauling, though. City drivers tend to be in and out of the truck fairly often, which tends to keep a person more alert. I know when I’m driving and start feeling a little tired prematurely, I will get out and walk around a few minutes and find myself good as new for several more hours. I’m not saying an 18 year old is any more likely to get tired sooner than a 30 year old. I’m simply injecting an alternative perspective that is open for discussion.
You make a good point. I have issues with ANY of the new so called “drivers” out here that these schools produce. (as a usual thing) they just don’t care. I’ve seen what crawls out of some of these trucks…and I cringe. I’ve hooked trailers they’ve dropped. No brakes snd/or working lights. They just don’t care.
I call them punks.
But again…I see and agree with the double standard argument.
Maybe I just need to retire…but I hate to see where the industry is heading. And it’s been changing for the worse every since they changed out HOS rules back in 02/03…not a good thing.
Just stay safe ol hands…
I 100% agree with you David my friend is in the army and drives a tank. But if he wanted to drive and semi in the military he could and keep in mind he would probably driving on public roads in the u.s. but if he want to do that in the civilian sector he couldn’t because he is only 19 but its okay if your in the military give me a break.
18 years olds can and do serve over seas in our military and in battle.
Just food for thought.
What everyone seems to conveniently forget in the, “They can go to war…” analogy is that they first receive an EXTREME and PROLONGED course in discipline and specialized training that puts them in a pressure cooker, basically forcing maturity/responsibility (of a sort) upon them. A six to eight week course in a driving school does not remotely compare.
Great comment…..””I second the Motion””.
That is true for sure. I was a Drill Sgt in the US Army and have seen first-hand the transformation from civilian to soldier. The difference is staggering. Now, if they want to send all of the 18 year-old drivers to Army basic training, then I’m all for it…no way otherwise.
Yup! My thoughts exactly… Imagine an 18 or 19 yr old high school grad going otr just a few weeks out of high school.
Well said.
Absolutely
How that translates to operating an 80,000 lb commercial vehicle on the nation’s roads does not compute. Why is military service held in such high regard, when I’ve got 3 million commercial miles behind me without an injury, fatality, accident or moving violation and NOBODY ever bothers to shake my hand and tell me I’m a hero?!? How is what I do of less value than military service? This spurious patriotism amounts to little more than pandering. You can do better than that.
Nobody is saing one job is more or less than the other, the point is that an 18-21yo CAN be responsible, be trained and do a job and do it responsibly. The irresponsible ones aren’t the one’s going to school and getting formal training for a career, their in their parents basements drinking, working at McDonalds and hanging out with friends making excuses for their lazyness. Also, the major point being that the 18-21yo crown can ALREADY get their CDL and drive now as many of them do! So why is it that it’s ok for them to do it in their home state and not others? Makes no sense. If your gonna let them drive the truck, they should be able to drive the truck.
Andy, I have to say that I’m a little puzzled and a little put off by your above comment. We as truckers provide the world with everything it needs to keep it going day to day. I commend you on your 3 million + miles of safe driving, there’s not many drivers that have accomplished that feat. But let me ask you this; when is the last time some one tried to kill you? Have you ever been shot at while trying to do your job? And what are the chances that if you fail your “mission” or don’t deliver on time; that multiple people, men women and children will certainly die? My point is, yes, we do have important jobs that affect millions of people everyday. But we’re not putting our lives on the line so that others can have feeedom and civil rights. Comparing a trucking career to our military is like comparing a .50 caliber machine gun to sling shot. There is no comparison. Now, do I think an 18 year old, fresh out of high school should be handed the keys to a 80,000# rig, absolutely not. There is a serious lack of experience and knowledge. I would, however, love to see more veterans becoming truck drivers because they have been taught discipline, promptness and for the most part are more reliable and hard working than someone who has never had military training. So, if you want recognition for being a hero, maybe you should find a better suited career. One that will offer you the attention and respect you feel you deserve. With all that being said, please do not take anything I’ve wrote as disrespectful. I have the utmost respect and admiration for my fellow truckers. I may not have as many miles under my belt as you, but I was raised in a truck and I love what I do with a passion. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. Best wishes and as always, be safe.
Kevin Hill; 18-21 year olds that serve in the military get FAR better training than the trucking industry offers and are held to a LOT higher standard than the trucking would EVER hold them to. I’m afraid you’re comparing apples and oranges.
Totally Agree Miami! Bad idea! I would probably have to quit driving big truck. Hell I’d probably not drive at all. You see way to many technology addicted kids Rollin by driving with their phone in their hands steering with their knees. I’d say about 80% the the 4 wheelers that phase by me every day are doin it. Until the wireless companies make it so the phone knows that ur moving down the road and automatically doesn’t allow the user to do anything other than make or receive calls 18 is BAD idea! In my opinion phones and other electronic devices should already do that! I’ve seen way to many bad accidents because of people using poor judgment by being on their frickin phone.
When I was in the military, we had plenty of 18 – 20 year olds learning how to drive tractor trailers to support various missions. Some of these guys absolutely sucked while others were naturals and drove better than our senior drivers.
They are just widening the pool of available drivers. In my opinion, they will succeed or suck just like the rest of us. Doubt this will ever get passed. Congress is not gonna change a federal law because the ATA is having financial problems due to the lack of drivers.
Would the 18yr olds be able to drink and party while driving, just like in the military too??
Drink and party in the military? Even if you’re in the military, the alcohol laws of the state where the military installation is located still apply. In most cases (maybe all) the drinking age is still 21 whether in the military or not. A military ID card WILL NOT allow a soldier to purchase alcohol when under the state’s age requirements.
Oh OK so now were comparing the well run military to swift an england central an all the big carriers that. Will push them through just to fill seats. Great. Yea they can’t leave there state now but what happens to the first person that really pisses them off in Dallas los Angeles Seattle st Louis Chicago. An again to compare the military to our well oiled machines of dispatchers an people who just want the freight moved. We can all see what happens when you get in a hurry. Every day.
It doesn’t matter if the age is lowered, if the insurance companies are not willing to allow an 18 year old behind the wheel, it will be a moot point.
This is true!
Nice
Yep i agree. The insurance co will have alot to
Say about this. I see the ATA as a lobbist for the big
Boys. I did 22 yrs in inf. Been trucking now 13 yrs.
Seen inmature folks on both sides of the coin…
Wouldnt be the shortage if companys paid you what
You deserve….good luck bros&sis
I’m sorry but your idea isn’t applicable. The ATA is first and foremost a lobbying group for the big carriers such as swift cr england and their ilk. All of these large carriers are self-insured. What this means is they have a pool of money (size determined by the size of their fleet) set aside and this allows them to basically provide their own insurance for their drivers out of this pool.
The “driver shortage” is ATA kool-aid. Don’t drink it. They want 18 year olds in the driver seat because they are tired of 21+ year olds complaining about – and quitting – because of exceedingly low wages compared to the job being done. Don’t get me wrong there is still money in trucking but the first year driver isn’t seeing any of it. If you want more drivers in the industry or want to have higher driver retention the answer is simple. Pay them more. It’s just cheaper to pay the pols through lobbying to keep the CDL mills churning than to pay their drivers what they are truly worth.
3 million miles is a lot of years (30+) to go with a perfect record.
Congratulations…mmmm
Excellent point. Hadn’t even thought of that. They’re the reason all the super fleets have their trucks governed so slow.
End of discussion
Maybe the “driver shortage” is due to there not being a minimum wage in the industry and alot of employers like to use that to their advantage. Or maybe its because of all the new laws they are putting on us because they claim truck are always the cause of the wrecks. They need to focus on the places that are handing a CDL out like candy crack down on the “trucking schools” and companies that will allow a driver with 6 months OTR to become a trainer!! A kid at 18 is just getting out on their own and in their prime to party and live life and have a little freedom. Let them get a local in state CDL and if they can stick with it till 21 then let them play on the big roads
Im right here with this guy, us drivers who are out there everyday know how it is, I do not wish to see an 18yr old just go out and drive.
Why don’t they just say they want to lower rates and wages for drivers just be frank about it.
Thank you. My thoughts exactly. Maybe there would not be a driver shortage if pay was better and drivers were treated better.
Exactly! A snow job of white-out proportions. “we attracted people who were somewhere between the ages of 25 and 40,” well, those 18 years olds will be 25 to 40 soon enough. Hey, don’t worry about the other trades because what I see every day is factory workers and construction workers and farmers and mechanics and realtors and managers all coming to trucking when their chosen profession goes to hell, their 30-ish, and no one else wants them.
EXACTLY!!!!!!!! Finally somebody says it. Bigger driver pool means less competition for drivers and less need to offer higher wages to attract & keep them. Oh, the lies of bureaucracy.
You can drive intrastate at 18, the only thing you can not get until 21 is a hazmat, I was pulling doubles when I was 19
Why offer better benefits, pay, and working conditions when you can simply expand the pool of available drivers? The idea of trying to attract and keep seasoned, dependable, veteran professionals doesn’t seem to register with most firms in the transportation industry. Just keep running your crappy, slipshod equipment with a crew of inexperienced, attention-deficit, pube-‘stached pukes fresh from their GED’s and driving “school” certificates and enjoy the late pick-ups and deliveries, absenteeism, failed drug screens, tickets & accidents.
I’m so glad I’ve found my little hideaway, working four 12’s and to hell with all the shippers, consignees, truck stops, scale houses, and fluster-cucked Costco, food service, Wal Mart, and grocery store distribution terminals jammed from back to front with sweaty, stinky, underpaid and overworked drivers running out of hours and running behind on sleep. If I’d known what I’d have to go through to get here 20 years ago, I might still be running cash register…
Where are you working Andy ? Are they hiring ?
Petroleum distribution in Washington State
It’s all about driving the wage down. In my opinion the wage should be raised. You want to attract younger folk to Trucking as a profession then make Trucking a career choice. All of us old hands have seen the wage go down year after year.
What are they smoking?
I could never understand the logic of an 18 yr’ old being old enough to go to war and vote and get married but they ain’t old enough to drive a Truck…no one has ever been able to give me a reasonable answer to that…
That same arguement could be made for allowing 18-year olds to buy and consume alcohol. There’s a degree of maturity that a 21-year old possesses versus an 18-year old, in general. I didn’t get my CDL until I was 32, which in hindsight was a good thing considering how hot headed I was in my twenties. I had no business driving a commercial vehicle at 18.
Well stated David.
Just think about it David; how much responsibility is there in voting, especially when at 18, one is hardly mature enough to properly discern important political issues? In addition; how many people can be negatively impacted by the threat of death or bodily harm when an 18 year old gets married? And, do military grunts have much discretion on what they do? Of course not; they’re there to do what they’re told to do and even if they drive a combination vehicle in the military, how often do they drive on public roads or highways?
I’m not completely opposed to 18 year olds getting their Class A CDL and going into trucking. But, I am in favor of strict restrictions. Some of which I believe should include: 1- no solo driving; teams only and the teen’s c0-driver must be over the age of 30; 2- no special endorsements, unless specifically required, and paid for, by the company that employs the 18 year old; 3- 50% more training time for an 18 year old fresh out of truck driving school than what’s required for any other new driver over 21; 4- a mandatory 6 month probationary period; 5- monthly random drug tests for any 18 year old; 5- a lower pay rate for 18 year olds, in order to subrogate the cost of insuring an 18 year old truck driver. No sense for us who are way over 18 to suffer financially because a company wants to pass on the added premium to the drivers; 6- ABSOLUTELY NO 18 YEAR OLD O/Os.
You won’t allow 18yr olds buy cigarettes but you will allow them to drive an 80, 000lb truck….
what a stupid idea how about start paying more money to the drivers out there now ,driver shortage is because of low pay more regs. and greedy. co.
The age is not leading to the driver shortage. The problem is that its difficult to convince 25-40 year olds to work 60-70 hours per week for such little pay. I believe there should be an increase for drivers to a mandatory federal minimum and it should increase with a rise in the cost of living. That would entice more people to take a look at driving as a career.
Well then they need to be shadowed for at least a year .
18? Why not 16?
the worst reason of any is the ‘driver shortage’.
Study after study after study shows the #1 concern of drivers, the #1 reason drivers change jobs and the #1 complaint of drivers is MONEY.
If every company paid a MINIMUM of 35 cents after 6 months experience (and I’m not saying 35 cents is anything to brag about), we’d see the ‘shortage’ disappear over the weekend.
A 3 year driver shouldn’t be making anything less than 50 cents.
Now compare that with whats out there and it’s not hard to understand why the shortage.
I don’t care if you lower the age to 13.
It’s all about the money.
There is no shortage just go to a local trucks top on any day and see how many trucks are sitting and talk to the drivers too . The only shortage there is is of those not wIlling to run for cheaper than we currently are.
Good point.
My original trainer from way back in the day is still one of my best friends. I was just talking to him a little while ago, actually. That guy was born to truck. His first job in high school was doing computer work for a small trucking outfit. He started driving 18-wheelers when he was 14, when nobody was looking, and he got his first driving job at 18. He couldn’t leave the state, so for the next three years he ran the ever loving hell out of all the freight that was moving within the state. When he turned 21, he was ready to whoop whoop truck it up with his two stick KW and the big radio with the big echo box echo box echo box.
I just described the 1 in a million exception that proves the rule. Guys like that are bred from birth, they aren’t made in a two week training seminar at CR England to get a seat filled with a warm body. Lowering the interstate driving age to 18 seems all the more stupid when I consider that neither one of my kids got licensed to drive a CAR before age 18, and they were not remotely alone. Some kids still want to get that license the second they turn 16, but there is so much BS you have to go through now that it takes a normal working family two years to get through everything you have to do before your kid can even take the exam. Few, if any of their friends were driving in high school. Getting licensed to drive a car at 18 or older is quite common now.
And these geniuses want to take that pool of totally inexperienced drivers, and put them in an 18-wheeler. Brilliant!
I’m not sure that 18 is a good age, nor am I sure that they should raise the age to 25. We all started out as students and had to learn what this job was about and how to do it safely and responsible. I think that some of the younger people are just a mature as some of the older ones. As long as the wages stay low, the companies treat drivers like we owe them for the job that we do and the bs the we put up with, they can lower the age to 15 and we will still have the same shortage of drivers. Just my opinion.
Part of reason of trun over rate is our pay. why not just up our wages? Wal Mart employees make more then most of truck drivers and they are home with thier familys but I guess its more money for them from licensing fees
About time! We have no problem putting an 18 year old behind the controls of a tank, a missile launcher, etc, but God forbid he actually be allowed to drive a truck. It’s ok for him to be blown up, but he is too immature to drive a truck or have a beer. I am getting sick of this “you have to be 21 to do anything” mindset. The sad truth is, there are many of those 18 year olds I would trust more than a sizable number of the older morons who are driving trucks now. I am almost 60 years old and it saddens me to see how stupid and immature so-called “grown” people can be. If an 18 year old has the motivation to learn this job, encourage it and I say “welcome”. I am not going to be some old coot that cannot seem to grasp that the younger folk are our future, and they have just as many gifts and talents as we “think” we have.
Cliff, this is not Utopia. I’m 53 and even I was reckless at 18, especially when not properly supervised. Yes, I was in flight school and the F.A.A. licensed me to fly a plane on my own, and carry passengers, but even the F.A.A. does not allow anyone to even sit co-pilot for a regional, or “puddle jumper” airline, in a plane that only carries 19 people, before they’re 23.
How many 19 seater turboprop “puddle jumpers” do you think there are out there, flying at the same time, as compared to how many 80,000 lb missiles??
There may be some parts of the Country where an 18 year old may be more mature than in other parts. But, the average maturity of an 18 year old today is, in my humble opinion, far lower than the level of maturity you and I had at 25. We knew how to read maps; we stopped at payphones to make calls and if we didn’t have a dime to do it with, we didn’t do it.
Should I go on????
The parallel Cliff tries to draw between potentially lethal military service overseas and operating an 80,000lb commercial vehicle on U.S. roadways is a non-sequitur. What the heck does one have to do with the other? Is it an oblique inference that opposition to 18-year-olds with CDL’s is
somehow unpatriotic? Purely ridiculous nonsense.
Cliff, if you want to give a young person that has been through military training, spent time in the field and forced to grow up quick, fast and in a hurry; then by all means, let’s do it. (They won’t be 18 anymore, but let’s say they’re still under 21.) I’m sure most of them would catch on quick and do quite well. These 18-19 year old know it alls driving 80 mph to deliver pizza and still living at home with mommy and daddy and think this world owes them something; those are the ones that scare the bejesus out of me. Most of them don’t know how to use a turn signal, much less bring an 80,000# truck to a stop in an emergency situation. There’s a reason why it has been federal law, for longer than I can remember, that you must be at least 21 years of age to operate a commercial vehicle on an interstate. Just like most things in life, there’s a point when you’re to young and there’s a point where you’re to old. I really think the trucking industry would suffer profoundly if they allow regular 18 year olds to drive commercially OTR.
Why not? Most drivers act like 13 year olds anyway.
First they change and come up with all this stupid rules to be safe !! And now they don’t have no drivers anymore because with all this rules a punch off drivers lost there job !! And really training young drivers ?? Most company’s don’t train drivers all together some companies make u a trainer after 3 month when they finished the training !! This industry is going down because people on high places making rules without having any idea what I’d going on on this industry! By the way company may should treat there drivers better and than there would not be a to less drivers out there !! Start where the real problem is !!
I am 51 drove for 20yrs and cant get a trucking job without going to school. I never went to school to begin driving when i was 21. Never had an accident or speeding ticket in a truck or in a car, ever. They say its because if havent drove over the road in the last 10 yrs. What a joke.
18 yrs old generally too young. Driver shortage simple solution. Treat your team better , yes more money but that’s just part of it . A little respect , some consideration goes a long way. A fair point made about 18 yrs old s out of high school going into other fields ,give them the opportunity to have a taste. License them up to say 7 – 10 ton on a straight truck , gain some experience, then go to the big stuff and more money at 21 yrs.
Yeah I know that makes too much sense to work.
One can claim that this or that is the reason for the driver shortage, but in reality, the reason behind the driver shortage is this; potential quality drivers doing the research learn that trucking is the 21st century version of slavery. For all the time put in, and all the BS you have to put up with, the rewards are quite literally a sick joke. Instead of applying a positive fix to the situation, the FMCSA and the ATA would back another “screw safety measure” in order to fill the void, just as they’ve done to the HOS rules. If the FMCSA and the ATA want to entice the up and coming genrations to join the profession, then mandate wages start at $20.00 per hour regardless of whether your local, regional, or over the road. With the advent of the mandate that virtually all trucks must have an on board electronic log system, there is no justification for paying a driver based on a milage or percentage formula. We deserve to be paid for the time we put in, not based on what those we haul for make on the load. As for the HOS rules, revert to the old 70/8 day & 60/7 day formula, but keep the 14 on 10 off formula currently utilized. These are the major components necessary to fix the problem. Neglect to do these and the shortage continues to escalate.
I like your idea of a flat hourly rate. But do you really think the big boys would go for that? You’d have guys turning a 8 hour run into a 20 hour run. Sure, they could set the drive hours on a per run basis, but what decent sized company do you know of that would go through the hassle and time of setting up such a system. And yes, I have worked for a trucking company that paid by the hour, I work in the oilfield. But I ran harder being paid by the hour than I ever did being paid by the mile. Like I said, it’s a good idea, I’d like to see it happen, but it’s highly unlikely.
I actually agree with Sam this has more to do with rates than a driver shortage. Give an 18 year old $600 a week and he’ll think his rich. While a lot of experienced drivers won’t take less than $1200 a week. They can kill two birds with one stone lower wages and more warm bodies in seats equals greater profits for the big boys.
They want 18 year olds for another reason. They aren’t wise enough to not work for peanuts. Face it folks, big companies want to pay Less not more for drivers! BTW, why do you think we draft 18 instead of 21 year olds?
The draft ended in 1973, but we get the idea
18 or 80 the problem is PAY!!
First I appulaud the thinking of searching for younger drivers. This is nothing new though, before the CDL requirement my Father and Uncles were driving right out of high school at 18. Since I’m a r tired Navy Vet I can also tell you that those ship drivers behind the helm are are 18yr olds.
Although our job is dangerous and requires a dedicated effort of attention to detail, it’s NOT rocket science. The Pay would still have to become better to keep even young drivers behind the wheel because one thing these kids aren’t is stupid! They’ll walk if they find a better paying gig without the headaches and not think twice.
you want more drivers stop putting so much regulations on us that don’t make sense and pay professional drivers more.
I was driving at 18. Found a loop hole that allowed me to haul heavy equipment for a contractor that he owned. It allowed me to haul VA, MD, WV, and NC. As a kid I always wanted to drive, and right out of high school I was living my dream. I will echo the exception to the rule as I was very careful not to lose my privilege to drive which would take away the dream.
I can’t say if overall it’s a good idea or not, but I’m sure the insurance companies will have a lot to say on this in the coming months.
You sound like a very level headed young person. But we know from statistics that between 18 and 21 especially young men have a much hire accident ratio then older men in automobiles.
Probably because they are more willing to forgo common sense and good decision making in general. In general I am opposed to any reduced age restrictions on long haul trucking. I believe while there are good drivers like yourself. I think at 18 years given how many young people I know even respectable ones tend to take risks, and do things that may negatively affect their performance as a truck driver. I understand this is purely a money thing for trucking companies and the ATA is well known for supporting companies more then drivers.
But I doubt given the negative statistics of 18 year drivers in general. Many insurance companies covering trucking companies will be so enthusiastic about covering these drivers in large numbers.
Yup. Insurance will be the “free market” force that slows/stops this. My husband’s company just UPPED their hiring age to 23 from 21 because it dropped their premiums.
But, then, they have a lot of older drivers (50s-60s), have a good safety record, and the pay/bennies are decent. Not to mention that the drivers are actually treated like human beings, LOL. DH has been there three years, and it will be his last company. First time he’s ever had a gig where he spends 3 nights a week at home, and still makes a very good paycheck. Turnover? Not much.
They can’t get it thru their heads that THIS is what makes driving an attractive career. As long as they treat drivers like sh!t and pay them pennies, there will ALWAYS be a driver shortage.
Lower the age to 18. I started driving a straight truck at age 18. When I was 19 I bought my first Semi Truck. I was still a kid at age 21. Hell, I was still a kid at age 25. What I’m saying is I don’t think the maturity level is any different at age 21 than it is at age 18. Even if you lower the age requirement to 18, I don’t think you’ll get that many takers. Higher pay & benefits is what it’s going to take to get people interested in this industry. As we’ve known for years; there is no driver shortage, it’s only a shortage of people willing to drive for not much reward.
If the ATA is for it, then that means the CEOs of the giant trucking companies are for it. Then the question becomes why? Because they will worjbcheap. Just remember, if it benefits those giant company fat cats at the expense of Company Drivers and small independents. The ATA is for it.
That’s why they support mandatory elogs and a national 65mph speed limit.
So don’t EVER confuse this organization for one that gives a crap about drivers. They’re just a lobbyist group for the mega carriers who fill our highways with 22 cent a mile rookies, and would replace us all with illegal alien drivers if they could.
18 year olds are the next best thing. Safety? Lmao
I’d be driving right now if I could find someone to help me get my class A I have a class B wouldn’t be hard. The main problem I say is you take me 21 working a full time job to pay bills. I can’t just stop and go to a school or a company that will train me for little to no money. If I had the money to go I would already have a company who would take me and pay for just the schooling but no pay while training. And that’s hard for a guy like me who has been around big trucks all his life and wanted to do nothing be drive them like my pops. To mean if they make it easier to get into a school or something but not make training easier have good training would work, but that’s just my 2 cents worth.
Most of the big companies will only have you in class 2-3 weeks and then you’re off with a trainer. I know when I went through it I was paid $500 a week for the first 2 weeks and then $600 a week after that. That was the best I ever made working for that company. I broke my contract because I was starving on the road. I managed to get 6 months experience in and moved to a very small company and that’s where I really started learning the ins and outs of trucking and making money. Basically, you can get paid to train, but almost all companies are going to want you to sign a contract. Your first year is going to suck no matter what. If you really want that class A and to start runnin with the big boys, you’re gonna have to suck it up for that first 6 months to a year. Best of luck to you.
There’s enough idiots out on the roads today!We really don’t need anymore! Do you actually think that as much as these companies lie,cheat,and steal . That we can really trust them to train properly 18 to 21 year olds! Let’s face it,this is one of the worst industries to work or be in! That’s simply a fact in general. Yes,we all know exceptions to that rule!However, in an industry that’s CEO’s, schools, dispatchers,drivers,DOT personnel,etc. Seem to be more dishonest then honest. Do you actually think it’s rational to trust,that there’s proper oversight,when training drivers who traditionally are more interested in their social calendars and who emailed or texted who? Like I said already,there are exceptions; people who grew up in the business,military trained drivers & veterans in general (of which,I’m both) However, we are the exceptions,not the rule. Yes,allowances should always be made for those of us in those categories! Hell,when I was 18.Two months after graduating high school, I was driving million dollar fuel trucks,sometimes within inches of million to 10 million dollar or more jet aircraft! Hauling everything from JP-4 to LOX to nuclear and bio chemicals! Oh and by the way getting shot at on occasion! All this and adventure too,during
the height of the Cold War to boot! So yes people there are exceptions! But less face facts, there’s enough “boneheads” (at all levels ) in this industry already! Do we really want to run the risk of putting drivers behind the steering wheel of an 80,000lb battering ram, that’s
essentially a building going down the highway horizontally, that traditionally have the highest accident rates of just about any other demographic group? The solution to the driv err shortage is easy! Give up this cents per mile garbage. Continue with linehaul ,gross or perload pay! Maybe even start paying salaries at $40 or $45,500 a year, with incentives to get raises and move up the proverbial “food chain”! Offer good solid health benefits,lifè Insurance and do away with this forced dispatch bs! Then maybe the industry will start
attracting and keeping people in general! Make it worthwhile! Because when drivers out there are busting their humps,in a 24/7 job and not making hardly anything to survive! Plus, their away from their families or homes to boot!!! Then they wonder why they can’t keep drivers??????
Its all about the money Kevin. Trucking does not want professionals. It wants cheap labor willing to spend more hours on the road with less home life. This is the same reason corporate America hires younger single people with no kids, and willing to devote more time to work. Its as simple as doing more with less bodies and that means less costs for a company and more productivity. I truly think it will backfire because I think without that family or need to sustain a income. Younger people who will no doubt be discouraged by trucking lifestyle will simply create more turnover and constant re training. Yes, this will end up with more accidents, and more negative reflect on trucking in general. But big trucking companies have never cared about the driver, the public or anything but their bottom line.
Great insight – ONCE AGAIN those companies that run the industry create a problem and think they’ll solve it with stupidity. Just in the past six months I’ve noticed the level of drivers seems to dropping back to that of 2006 – Don’t really give a shit, dumping pee bottles out next to you splattering your truck, parking where ever they want to illegally and blocking other drivers in, driving recklessly (not carelessly – I have lots of dash cam video that nobody cares about), just a down hill trend. We didn’t even get to load swaps and equipment maintenance. In 2006 there was a “shortage” and the industry average turnover rate was 120%. If a company had a rate of 90% that was considered “outstanding”. 2008 -2009 saw a downturn in the industry and a weeding out of the undesirables they had hired – they no longer needed someone who was living, breathing, and could hold the steering wheel, they wanted more.
Over the past few years other jobs opened up and many people left. The trucking companies NEED to solve the REAL problem – the one they’ve created!!! How about treating drivers like they have a life, family, etc. How about being creative and working with them to get just and fair compensation for their work. Most drivers don’t work an 8-5, Mon-Fri job with paid holidays and vacations. How many times do the companies shit on their drivers for holidays, home time, graduations, family emergencies, pay, etc. and then turn around and ask the driver to take care of their customer.
These companies made their bed; they need to lie in it!!! Until you change the perspective at the top tiers of management and treat the drivers as if they are an important part of the “team”, not just a “dumb ole’ key turners” the problems will continue. It has to be more than lies and lip service; it will have to be exhibited in actions and attitudes. These are just the baby steps to get the industry on the right road.
As far as age, there is the chronological and mental age. As far as arguing we can serve in the military and die at 18, that argument was used in the 60’s and 70’s to try and lower the drinking age. If you join the military at 18 the earliest you might get out is 2 years later. I would tell you, come back with an honorable discharge, maturity, skills and/or the desire and ability to understand and learn the job and I’ll seriously consider hiring you.
The only thing you’re going to get with hiring most 18 year olds is a younger version of the immature, idiot drivers we’re already seeing with many of the minimum age drivers already being hired. The blame too can be placed on the trucking companies with their low standards, poor training (EVERY training and trainee I’ve asked can’t tell me the recommended MINIMUM SAFE following distance – a very basic question, even for a 4 wheeler), and the “really don’t give a shit” attitude. Just get the freight there legally or illegally – ether way if something isn’t right it will be your fault.
With all that said, last October I finally discovered a company that would be a good model for the other companies in the way it is operated and the attitudes they have about all their employees and drivers (contractors), Mercer Transportation in Louisville, KY.
Of the many companies I’ve worked for over the years, it has been refreshing to find a company with the outlook and attitudes about the business and employees/contractors. No it’s not perfect, but at least they’re not malicious and calculating about there actions. I haven’t been lied to and all interactions have been respectful. They go out of their way to make you feel part of the team/solution.
I would say from a position of 10 years of abuse from this industry, the companies that created this problem need to change their approach, clean house, and remake themselves to attract highly qualified applicants. With over 80 million people on unemployment, returning veterans and a large number of people that won’t enter the industry because they hear about how everyone gets screwed by the apathetic, malicious and twisted employers, there should be a large pool of candidates, but the companies have to change their approach and attitudes.
Let’s be honest. An 18 year old in the military goes through a life changing character building process by the time they are entrusted with the tools of their trade. By the time they finish a tour in a combat zone, they have matured way past their age. They are always under the watchful eye of their leaders and with their peers working as a teem. What worries me is taking an 18 year old from his friends and parents house and put him with a piss poor trainer and it’s disaster waiting to happen. We also need stringent trainer standards before we even attempt this. Adopt good training standards and have competent trainers then give it a shot. Anyone remember “High school to flight school” program the Army had? Why did it work?
absolutlely not! they should raise the age, say about….25 or so, starve the mega-carriers into decent condition, i started@ 26 myself, 18 years old? ….dangerous @ best….ATA is like the fox guarding the hen house, trying myself to get out of the buisness, not what it used to be, dreamed of being O/Op not anymore, dumb idea …. like turning an 18 yr old loose with a 40 ton rig!!!!!! just another cheap labor ploy…..
Haha! And how about all those 18 year olds *old enough to sign legal contracts* who will become “fleece-ops”? They will sign away their lives for that shiny Pete, and end up broke, homeless, and disillusioned. Everyone has seen the whole family get out of a certain company’s lease op trucks at a truck stop. Because they lost their house. Sad.
My 17 year old was driving a car safely, yet a 61 year old tractor trailer driver was speeding, going too fast for conditions, not paying attention, driving recklessly, rear ending my son and killing him. The moral of this story: age does not determine who is a safe driver and who is not, in all cases. I would rather they focus on safe drivers period, regardless of age. The worst part? Because the tractor trailer driver was carrying US Mail, he got away with murder, without even so much as a moving violation. The trucking company was involved with 5 fatalities over a 2 year period in 3 separate crashes, yet they still have a satisfactory safety rating because they have never been held responsible for unsafe driving. We have a bigger problem here than age. It is that a tractor trailer driver can kill someone and completely get away with it. Moreover, the FMCSA does not show fault in their ratings. My 17 year old son is dead through no fault of his own, according to all police reports and prosecutor, yet the way tractor trailer safety is prosecuted and measured, allows drivers of legal age and their trucking company to get away with killing someone without even a public safety demerit or criminal charges. Talking about age is a farce when we don’t even properly hold people accountable at legal age or trucking companies for unsafe driving.
And this is a convincing argument for allowing 18-year-olds to drive big rigs…how?
Todd I am truly sorry for the loss of your son. I have to say though, your story is unusual. Most of the time it’s us drivers that get the blame regardless of how the situation unfolded. But you prove a good point. Age isn’t usually the deciding factor in an auto accident. It’s that particular person and the things happening at that very moment. I have seen drivers with 20-30 years experience make stupid rookie mistakes only because they were in a hurry or not paying attention, or even just in a bad mood. I have 3 young sons and I can’t begin to imagine what it would be like to lose one of them, especially in an 18 wheeler accident; mainly because I am a truck driver. But I hope that you don’t hold a hatred for all truckers. Myself and several of my driver friends would put a truck through a ditch or into a tree to keep from harming an innocent person.
How about paying a fair wage? That would go a lot farther.
So the ATA wants to hire the riskiest group for traffic accidents with automobiles to drive large trucks? Brilliant! I guess we know where ATA’s loyalties lie. They are with big trucking companies looking to grab the young with no families willing to work for peanuts and stay out weeks or months. I already have seen the destruction of respect for truck drivers with older drivers in their 20’s who disrespect the responsibility of driving a large vehicle. Being 18 won’t help this problem.
Just shows how “safety” conscious the ATA is. If it were to go ahead, the only thing I would look forward to is these young hotheads punching out their bosses when they realize how much they’re getting ripped off. A kid who has been driving for less than two years behind a 40 ton rig. Great thinking. Why not just raise wages and get the drivers you need?
For god sakes do we not have enough drivers on the roads today getting in accidents and killing people. 18 is a good age to let someone pull 80,000 pounds down the road. We have people now alot older then that who shouldn’t be behind the wheel! Go for it, but you better also buy more body bags! Ya GREAT idea ( NOT )
Hahahawwwww!!!
ATA is always citing an aging workforce and blah blah. The word was, is, and always will be. ….compensation. If you want a workforce, pay for it. Let’s face it, most of the large companies represented by the ATA train, use, and release their drivers. They don’t want a large percentage of their drivers in the upper 70% of their pay scale. They stab each other in the back for a load of paper and who’re out the freight rates.
This newest ploy is nothing more than saying we need a larger pool of people to chew up and spit out.
At 18, before actually, I knew I wanted to go OTR and be an owner-operator. At 20 I found an independent that was willing to teach me how to truck, not drive, for nothing but expenses and I jumped all over it. It took forever to finally get to my 21st birthday so that I could begin to realize my dream.
I was more than ready to handle the truck at that age, and did a good job of it. I did get a lot of speeding tickets – 55 mph speed limits were tough – but was a safe and consciousness driver. What I know now that I didn’t realize then is that I wasn’t mentally and emotionally mature enough to deal with the challenges that face an OTR trucker and especially those that an O/O does. I did however, learn quick.
The comparison to the military is a natural one but is invalid for one main reason. Structure. In the military, especially in the beginning, recruits are told when to get up in the morning, brush their teeth, eat and are heavily supervised and led throughout each and every day and mission, whatever it might be. Drivers, especially OTR’s unless under the a trainer (and we all know what a joke that is in reality in most cases) have none of that.
This is a bad idea, unless and only unless the youngsters are under supervision from qualified, serious and caring trainers. And if we’re honest with ourselves as an industry we’ll admit that we don’t need to get the cart before the horse here and shore up our training programs first.
It’s all a mute point anyway though, because unless the carrier is self insured or the insurance companies sign off on this deal it won’t happen anyway.
I don’t think its a bad idea with the proper training. Being that I got my Articulate License (before there was a such thing as a CDL) at age 18 back in 1985
Let them get training in a trade school or community college, and let them drive. I live in Iowa and plenty of farm kids driving farm equipment have more experience by the time they’re 18 than most of those coming from driving schools last 10 yrs. They also know how to care for equipment and not tear it up.
I agree about being in the military where they can learn how to fight and willing to die to support our beliefs and freedoms. While being unable to have CDL except intrastate. Here is an fyi, I went in the Army at 17, legal no lying or misrepresentation, no juvenile record or in any trouble. This was in 79, in, out, and done at 21.
Driving in a farm equipment is not at all like driving a tractor trailer in a highway, maybe at 10 times the speed.
Open your eyes and mind to see beyond your biases, oh blind one. Is not a tractor, hopper trailer or tanker pulling intrastate also farm equipment? Usually have to spell it out for some. Reread all I wrote, just not what you thought you saw. Thanks
There’s a big, BIG difference between driving in Iowa (I covered virtually every inch of the state when I was OTR) and driving in heavy, fast moving traffic in places like Atlanta, Denver, Seattle, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Wasington D.C., Philadelphia, the Bay Area, the Twin Cities, Kansas City, Memphis, Cleveland and New Orleans. And what about mountain passes, tolls, construction zones, detours, law enforcement/ DOT, drugs, prostitutes, violence, thievery, and dishonest employers who’ll want you to stay out for weeks or months at a time while hosing you for every last nickel they can? There’s a hell of a lot more to truck driving than meets the eye. It’s a career for ADULTS.
I got my Class A CDL from Griffin Technical College when I was 18. I couldn’t cross states lines in a commercial vehicle was the only law diffirence from someone being 21. Everything else is legal by the age 18 besides alcohol. However who needs alcohol when you got a truck.
Insurance Companies rule the world, and we in the Transportation industry know this. I can’t envision 18 YO in Big Trucks will be allowed by any insurance co.
The reason they are having driver shortages is due to comparitively crap pay, the electronic log getting more prevalent, and especially their stupid CRASH program which blames a driver when it is not even his or her fault. There never was a driver shortage problem before deregulation, when trucking actually paid well. I was making $32000 a year in 1978! To equal that rate of pay a solo company driver should be making about $110,000 a year as a solo! And they just CAN’T figure out why there is a driver shortage!
Obviously, in order to address the driver shortage, they should try everything – except paying drivers, (and God forbid, raising freight rates!).
The rules are being changed constantly but this not a good idea. Some young people may be mature enough to be team drivers but the idea of giving an 18 year old person his own rig and letting him/her drive the open road is ludicrous. Give them time to get over the party mentality and learn to not fall for the scams/dangers from the criminal elements which prey upon truckers and just maybe they’ll have a fighting chance.
Cheap labor means more profit (in your dreams) but the reality is that the implementation of this policy will spell the doom of the trucking industry. JB Hunt and Snyder had two of the better training programs for entry level truckers a few years ago but most of the training programs in the industry now are merely “fly by night” operations designed to put a warm body behind the steering wheel.
It takes a mentally tough person to be a driver and that doesn’t happen overnight. When the industry reaches out to the senior/experienced drivers and set tough training standards to weed out those who can’t perform the job properly then just maybe we can think about lowering the driving age.
I’m ok with with 18year old behind a wheel. If they can go to war and die they sure damn can drive. For rest of you that think there is a shortage of drivers, you are all NUTZ! There is absolutely NO shortage of drivers and it will never be! Now yes I’ll give you this, there is a shortage of dumb, don’t ask questions slave type drivers. Sure I can see that but good quality drivers are out there. Not too long ago I placed an add for hiring experienced driver and starting pay was $0.45 because as a owner op, there is still planty money to be made and at same time driver can start off at decent pay.
I’ve got over 20resumes in 2-4 hours since I posted and everyone one of them had min 10-15 yrs ExP.
Did you refuse to consider the experienced drivers in favor of placing an ad for inexperienced drivers who would work for less? No? Then you’ve just undermined your own assertion that it’s okay for an 18-year-old to do CDL work. Of COURSE you want veteran, safety-conscious drivers!
“Driver shortage” depends on where you are geographically; the company I work had me train a guy making $2.75/hour more than when I hired on 4 years ago. If the economy hasn’t begun to recover where you live you’ll get old-timers coming out of the woodwork for a paycheck.
The Mega- Companies own ATA and FMSCA. This is another way to get drivers to work for “Nothing”.!! ATA and FMSCA are alwys looking for a scape goat to find problems. When in fact both are indeed “The Problem”..!!
Moxie makes an excellent point, and it is right on..!!
18 and behind the wheel of a big rig? No. Not a good idea! You want to help improve the driver shortage? Ease up on the two year experience ‘mandate’ that many carriers require. I’m a CDL holder and drove for 8 years before taking an inside job at a desk for 15 years. Recently, I wanted to get back out on the road as a driver and the carriers that I applied to said I needed to have 2 years of recent driving experience. I either needed to go back through a driver training school or get a small local carrier that’d be willing to put me to work. Fortunately Bridge Transport in Dawsonville, GA took “a chance on me” and gave me a job. I’d rather see experienced drivers given the chance to drive again before I’d trust an 18-year old to pilot a big rig down the road. There’s alot of guys wanting to get back into driving but it’s been some time since they were on the road. It’s a safer bet to employ a guy that’s ‘been there before’ rather than a kid who’s mind and instincts are still developing. I still can’t believe I was allowed to drive when I was 21 years old! Now almost 50 and driving again, I have a renewed respect for what it takes to safely handle the big truck. Don’t lower the age, just rethink the requirements of re-enlisting former drivers!
ATA and FMSCA are owned by the Mega-Carriers. So of course they are considering 18 year old drivers, this way they can keep the void filled with “Cheap Labor”.
Both ATA an FMSCA are constantly looking for “Scape-Goats” and “Problems” to make and enforce new rules. When in fact they are and always will be “The Problem”..!!
Moxie was right with what he had to say, about wages. Of course ATA and FMSCA totally ignore “Reality”..!!
Is there really a driver shortage? Or is it the fact that companies would rather pay low wages to new hires rather than pay for experience?
Well, I guess I’ll weigh in on this one.
I started driving a log truck before I was old enough to have a drivers license (14 y.o.), in Calif. of all places. Got my regular D.L just before 16 y.o. but didn’t get my chauffeur’s D.L. (later called class A then CDL) til I was almost 24.
During those years I was on log roads as well as county/interstate highways and city streets. I was what I consider a typical male teenage driver, had a lead foot, very impatient and had my moments of what is now called road rage. In those 10 yrs. I was never stopped in a truck, never got a ticket and never had an accident.
I retired a couple of years ago after more than 53+ yrs. of driving. During my later years I had plenty of speeding tickets and other types of tickets as well as being involved in a few accidents.
BUT, I have NEVER had a chargeable accident in a truck or 4 wheeler, and I have well over 5 million miles behind the wheel.
Personally, I am all for lowering the age to 18 for a CDL, even with all the idiot drivers out there now. Granted younger drivers DO have a well earned bad driving reputation (lead foot, etc.) BUT that does not mean they are total idiots. Each situation is different and I have always felt that most younger drivers have gotten the short end of the stick in life.
In most instances they are quite capable of accepting the responsibility. Give them a chance. Remember we ALL have to start somewhere.
This is very interesting subjuct . . . I can see both sides and both make valid points. As young boy I LOVED being around big trucks and couldn’t wait to go on ride-alongs with my uncle in the summer time. I was fascinated by these big things! It forged in my mind that one day I would get my CDL and drive these big rigs. I was that guy who would’ve gone for the training out of high school because I didn’t know what I wanted to do yet, and I still had that wonder iof trucking. Well, obviously I couldn’t and, so I decided to go to college and get a degree. Years passed and even after I graduated with a BA in Business, I still wanted to drive trucks. I earned my CDL through a company training program and ended up driving OTR for a couple of years before moving to regional and then leaving the industry all together. However, what has stayed with me all these years later is the training I received while driving a large car. I’m a much better driver today because of the training I received behind the wheel of truck. My question is . . . and it’s been brought up on this post, why not take guys like me who have a desire and willingness to learn and at younger age and train them? Now obviously, training programs would have to be revamped (and that’s a whole other subject) and the driver-trainers would have to be willing, able and have a desire on their part to work with these younger recruits. Let’s face it, industry shortfalls are coming and all you super truckers won’t be able to handle the freight. For many of you, this could be a way of giving back to an industry you love. Pass it on!
Insurance wont cover OTR now until 23… look at the average driving ad. Almost always need to be 23, not 21. 18 will never fly with insurance, or if they do decide to cover at 18, no one will be willing to pay the price for it.
If you serve in our Military than you should be able to get CDL, If you didn’t serve ,no CDL.
You want to end the shortage than raise the pay,and not pennies, but by 20%.
R they freaking nuts, I wouldn’t lower the age to 18.
Similar to car companies weighing accident deaths against profits (when deciding whether or not to spend the money to change a deadly design flaw). This one’s a little harder to conceal; the public would tend to notice teenagers driving 18-wheelers.
It’s also the case that driverless trucks are not just mythical futuristic nonsense.
The corollary being, putting 18-year-olds behind the wheel instead of a computer represents a big leap backward.
Sounds like the ATA is getting hard up for more cheap labor.
Are they kidding? They can’t even get control of strict training now. Adding to the problems that are already here is not going to make them better. They need to work on now before they worry about whats next.
This can’t make your mind up by government is now 42 years old or longer. Politicians should be 58 years old and allowed a maximum of two years in office. Give us your best before you get crooked and then get out.
Why, so they can bring the stats on accidents caused by semi truck drivers even higher? It’s not bad enough low life’s like Barbara Walters are claiming truck drivers are serial killers, but the government wants to now make claim to making sure class 1 drivers are actually adequetley trained professional drivers. Wasn’t one company already caught giving licences to untrained class 1 drivers, that says a lot when you could get a licence and not have to take the course. But hey they’ll be fine because they have adequate training. If there is indeed a drivers shortage it’s not because there isn’t enough experienced class 1 drivers, it’s because the experienced drivers are tired of working for nothing and being treated like garbage and leaving, as many truck drivers in the past stayed in the profession for love of their career, there is nothing left to love anymore except the open road, but the open road no longer pays the bills, or puts food on the table for many, ecpsecially if you have a crotchety dispatcher, that’s willing to let you sit there for 2 days with no load or pay for waiting for your next load. When the stats starts to rise by deaths on the roads caused by semi trucks, the onus should go on the ones that are really to blame, those that regulate the trucking industry.
I’m 24 with 7 years Commercial Driving Experience & had my CDL Class A for 6 years.
I have been a class a cdl driver since i turned 18 back in 93. In Georgia back then, you were eligible for a class a cdl at only 18 years old if you had a clean mvr and attendended driver training school. I used to deliver heavy equipment into areas of downtown Atlanta while driving an old 1975 model B-800 series Mack with a quadraplex (2 shifter) transmission. I must admit that I got hung up a time or 2 and may or may not have been responsible for a broken mailbox or 7 but I knew that it was a serious responsibility and I took all the care I could to do things right. I now have my hazmat/tanks/trips and have spent a lifetime as a professional driver and I have a stepson who is now 21 that I wouldn’t put in charge of delivering a Honda without worries. His whole generation seems to have grown up with a cell phone in one hand and a parent’s credit card in the other. In all his free time of the past 6 years he sits in front of the computer to play World of War something or other and He has no idea of how to work and save for something much less of handling any kind of responsibility. Is it our fault? Or did society hand these kids too much when they started handing out gold stars and trophies to everyone in the school who simply showed up or put in the least amount of effort?
Wow I am so glad I am almost retired because this industry is just turning into a joke accidents are up and now you want to put teenagers in the wheel of 80,000 pounds ..idiots
I know 18 yr olds that just barely passed the test to get a regular operator license, if this is something there after the regs and the test/training needs some serious improvements made as well, raising the requirements for these so called driver trainer’s that we can all see does such a great job ( NOT).
I can see where this is going and the motive behind it.
They can’t get enough drivers 21 and over to accept the low wages that have been the case since the recession so let’s try a younger age group.
Pay a proper wage scale and you will have plenty of qualified drivers in the current age bracket.
The industry as a whole has a deficit of drivers due to the poor wage structure of the industry.
There are a small percentage of companies in the industry that are willing to pay fair wages for
qualified truck drivers. Those companies not only have no shortage of drivers, they have a waiting list. It’s not about safety, shortage or opportunity. It’s all about $
As a business owner myself I am not against hiring an 18 year old. My husband was an 18 year old when he started driving F&J Schott Trucking in Tipton CA hired him and when the insurance company refused to cover him the company switched insurance companies in order to keep him because he was a hard worker and they knew he would be an asset to their company. He worked for them for 13 years before we started our own little company. And in 25 years in business I have hired numerous 18 year olds who were not able to get a company that would hire them other then a company like CRST, Schneider, JB Hunt and etc. But not all young drivers are made to be a long liner. And all of the 18 year Olds I have hired through out the years are still in contact with us. Though we have move from state to state some of those drivers have moved with us and I still have couple onboard though are grown men now.
Since our last move 7 years ago we have hired at least 12, 18 year olds because they couldn’t get hired elsewhere. I have told them to use me for the experience and because I am so small and cannot offer the bennies a big company can give, get the experience and go elsewhere when you can. I have helped 90 % of my young drivers over all the years get their good paying jobs excellent bennies or union jobs by people or companies I know. This is our way of paying it forward for young drivers just how F&J Schott Trucking in Tipton CA did for my husband.
In the seven years we have been back in Cali I still have one of the 18 year Olds I hired 6 years ago still here working for us. And we have seen him flourish into an excellent hard working man with a wife and family.
With the help of my not so young drivers that moved with us back to Cali who have been a big help to take these young drivers and train the newbies with never a complaint but always as a pleasure to train another young one in hopes to help make that young driver an outstanding driver and worker.
I have had insurance companies not wanna cover a driver and I too have switched insurance companies to hire an 18 year old.
So not all 18 year olds are careless some are much more mature than others.
There’s more that I can say but will stop for not………but I will not stop paying it forward for a young driver to get the experience and help get that driver a high paying with benefits that this small company cannot compete with.
Good luck to all you drivers out there, drive safe and may each and everyone of you be blessed and have God in your life to continue protecting you out there with all the different drivers out there of all ages whether a 4 wheeler or 18 wheeler.
God Bless
KUDOS…to Small Companies like this one….that go the EXTRA MILE to help Youngsters get into Trucking. May them be Blessed with plenty of “Miles” and “Loads” so they can stay in Business. ** This story reminded me…when I was “Grandfathered” In into the Trucking industry back in 1976. ***Today a “MillionS” miler,,, yes with an S… accident and Violations FREE miles and Not driving anymore…..getting ready to TEACH and Produce the Newer Generation of “Tractor/ Trailer Operators”. HAPPY TRAILS TO ALL…….
If only there were more people like you. I’ve been at a standstill ever since I got my Class A CDL at the age of 18.
I say give them a license and remove the speed limiter. Gityup.
Well….as you “All” probably know 14 yrs old can Fly airplanes legally…*My “two cents” on younger Truck drivers…is..**With proper Teaching and Training…and a “Mature” individual that understand and recognizes his own “Limitations” …..it is possible to achieve that Goal. ** THIS MESSAGE IS FOR ATA…and all the Politicians involved in that process…:::** Now…is Time to find “Old Timers” (OTR truck drivers)….that have the capability to TEACH…..and provide proper TRAINING….PAY THEM A PROFESSIONAL SALARY ( $60,000 annually) plus Benefits…..and you will see how a Good young Trucking Professional is Born from Scratch..((CALL ME WHEN YOU ARE READY…!!!)))
There is a driver shortage because pay is low and the drivers are over regulated.
So its ok to send 18 year olds off to fight wars, kill or die for their country and drive 10 million dollar tanks. But it is not OK for them to drive tractor trailers?
Just pay a decent wage and good drivers will stay. There is no driver shortage. People don’t want to be abused and payed such lousy wages. The trucking industry is like one big meat grinder.
There is always fresh meat coming. People do it for a while and quit because the conditions suck!
Ground up and spit out.
21 year olds and Mexican trucks are just examples of an industry that won’t change and looks for fresh meat.
If there is a shortage of drivers in these hard economic times, that can only mean one thing: The job is not attractive. Make it attractive and rewarding and you will have people flocking to it like there is no tomorrow. Make it so attractive that people will want to switch careers from other trades. And then make the weeding process, licensing and training – hard and arduous, long and expensive. This way you will get only the best. Lowering the age, or bringing drivers from India, does little to improve the safety of our highways, as I can observe every day up here in Canada. Most of the recent major truck accidents in and around Ontario, Canada, were caused by the Indian drivers. Out government and the major trucking firms made this almost a sweat shop job. They thought that increasing regulation and pressures on the firms and truckers would cancel out the unskilled foreign driver influx. They thought they could control the safety through draconian regs and governing of the trucks at 62 miles an hour. Well, I see more truck accidents than 10 years ago, and all of them here are caused by those drivers. They bring their driving culture with them to Canada/America and the licensing and training system is a joke, so it fails to change their driving culture. Recently we had an Indian driver hit an overpass with his dump box, because he drove on the major highway with it open! He damaged the bridge and closed a major artery for days. he was found to be driving drunk.
So now lower the age to 18 and get all the yahoos on board with their electronic toys and inexperience in life as well as driving.
Someone here argued that we send 18 yer olds fighting overseas. Yes, there’s a reason for that. An 18 year old’s inexperience and underdeveloped brain ( proven by scientists ) makes him do things an adult would think twice about. An 18 year old believes himself invincible. I too was in the army in my youth. I don’t remeber them allowing any 18 year old to drive anything bigger than a jeep, or a cube van.
Real nice blame the Indian. Whenever in doubt blame a minority. No wonder Trump won the presidency.
This is about as smart as C.R. England wanting to do away with driver training and just cut them loose fresh from driving school. Why wait until they are 18? I’m sure there are plenty of 16 year old high school drop outs looking for a good job. Why not hire let them drive? Wake up ATA instead of doing something that’s a stupid waste of time, doing something that has a value to the industry like oh maybe get rid of that ridiculous 14 hour rule. Stop being a puppet for the big companies that just want bodies in the seats. Just my opinion.
Which insurance company is going to insure them? I’m now retired, but we never used to hire anyone under 25 because of the insurance.
Pay and treat the drivers you already have well then there won’t be a shortage.
The ‘electronic’ log book is so easy to work for,
( even though it is so unrealistic to use)
That even an 18y old can use. And that
my friend, is a fact. PS if you like
elec logging and all the restrictions associated
with, then you should feel proud and looking
forward to trucks driving themselfs.
Many of you are citing insurance companies not wanting anything to do with younger drivers. Do you know this for a fact? I’ve read a couple of replies that seem to prove you wrong. Listen, are teenagers more likely to be involved in a wreck? Yes. Why? Perhaps it’s the training they are receiving. Case in point, my son will be turning 16 in a couple of months and so far he’s had a couple of “official” weeks behind the wheel with an instructor and has taken a test for his permit. His next step ( in Michigan they have a 3 level system for attaining your license) is to take his level 2 which consists all of 3 days in a classroom setting watching films and taking more tests. Really!? If it wasn’t for me getting him out there on a consistent basis, guiding and instructing him in safe drivng techniques, he wouldn’t be fully ready to drive a car. My point is, training is key. Not every 18 year old would be ready to drive a truck, let alone a car. However, for those that have the desire and work ethic, perhaps they could become good solid truckers with the right training and trainer. That’s where many of you come in! Instead of moaning and groaning and carrying on . . . why not put your experience to good use and train the future so we have safer drivers and therefore safer roads. If this were the case, perhaps insurance companies would change their tune.
I was a strait A student, teacher’s pet, graduated high school at 16, joined the Air Force at 17 & 3 months (parent’s signature), stationed at Norton AFB, CA. I voluntarily helped my mother financially (mowing lawns) at the age of 12. When I departed the Air Force, after the 1991 Gulf War, at the age of 20, I do not believe that I was responsible, wise or intuitive enough to safely handle a big rig.
Trucks will be driving themselves within the next 10 – 15 years, but even so, the DOT won’t look at the fact that reducing the CDL age for OTR drivers to 18 is the reason for the increase in truck involved fatalities. They ignore the fact that 4 wheelers cause most of the accidents now, and therefore will focus on reducing our driving hours even more, make us take more stupid mandatory breaks, and impose even more senseless regulations.
Give current drivers the best opportunity to make money while they can, without more ridiculous regulations, while OTR trucks still require someone behind the wheel!
Heck, anybody can do any job. Its only work. Question is… How long is a young person going to stay in an industry where there are no rewards or respect fot those of us gettin on down the road? They are gonna up and leave this job soon as they can because it takes a fully functional adult human being to do this day after day. Young people lack the maturity to last ling working like we do.
At 18 I enlisted in the Marine Corps as a motor t operator and drove big trucks in Afghanistan and Iraq before I got my CDL. So I was mature enough to drive them at that point putting my life on the line, but not state to state? That’s some really odd logic. There are bad apples in every age group that should not be behind the wheel, so think about that for a second
The giant trucking companies are just trying to tap another form of slave labor. Go figure. At 18 years of age they barely know how to drive.
That is not a good idea, most 18 year olds that I have met still act like 15 year old children. That is way to much responsibility for a teenager. Maybe allow them to be able to drive a straight truck locally , Class B Vehicle but not an 18 wheeler…. You must be out of your mind.
Again, they miss the root of the problem. The only reason they want to put teenies on the road is so they can pay minimum wage for an “Entry Level” position. After that, they can really screw them, and US. the teeny-boppers get less pay, we can too. That will lead to the problem of, again, more drivers trying to do more to make up for the lost pay.
Heads up to the screwers at the big places: There are plenty of local and ground jobs that pay better than $700 per week. Couple that to the fact I can have a life, I think the choice is clear.
Maybe it is time for a mass exodus from this job, especially by the newbies, who are getting raked over the coals.
Word to the people that like to complain: don’t gripe about a perfectly good offer that lease to own companies have. I got my tractor through the so-called worst one. I did good, took my lumps, and now I own it. I make better money than i ever did on the ground. I now dispatch myself, and I make double what I did for the big guy.
But then, the big guy is out there to do what you wanted him to do in the first place.
To train you.
Get a freaking clue, guys.
You didn’t go to work at the school you graduated from, did you?
I suggest to let the 18-year-olds drive team only, with a veteran driver for a few years, until he is at least 21.
I’ll tell all of you guys what, I wish I was given the opportunity to be a driver back then. I would now have 31 years under my belt, and likely have enough money to have a very comfortable retirement.
There might be a few like me out there, still and yet.
This would be the best way to find them, but lets do it right.
Also, I suggest changing that picture to reflect what you would really expect to see behind that wheel. Purple hair, baggy pants, and weird tattoos…..
Using a baby is just wrong, and extreme to the point of being ridiculous, and shows the mentality of the people who used it.
Ive got a question? Has anyone seen statistics on what age that men are who have died serving there country overseas? Now(almost) everyone says if your old enouph to serve your country,let them drive! The real problem isnt that the ata wants to drop the age limit. The real problem is WAGES. Retired people on social security get cost of living raises, do we? Here’s a thought “wy not let them in from other countries”… them meaning “aliens” to the US. I personally dont want my grandkids being in a car in front of an 18 y/o truckdriver on a foggy or icy road with a ELECTRONIC LOG beeping or whatever it does when its time to go in the bunk! Btw wouldn’t this be the reverse of wy they increased the age in the first place? Im not sure how you guy’s feel about it but the way i see it is: these morons blame it on to high of age regulations, (driver shortage). How about taking a look at all there dumba$$ regulations! how about taking a look at what truckers earnings have been for tge last 15 years in comparison to what a gallon of FRIGGIN MILK cost now. These people who set the laws aren’t out in the real world! There the same people we bitch about everyday THE IDIOTS BEHIND THE DESK. TOM i want to say im sorry for the loss of your son! God bless you and your family.
Update: my apology. ..TODD!! im very sorry for your loss.. God bless you and your family. Heart goes out to you brother.
Ok, you lost me on the immigrant thing. How is letting in illegals going to help the trucking industry? Everyone has seen reports about how accidents have jumped in numbers in the southern bordering states. They can’t read English and their equipment is far from acceptable to U.S. Regulations. I guess I don’t understand where you’re going with that.
“According to some however, a minimum age of 21 could be a leading cause of the “driver shortage.”
I’m sorry, but that is the most ridiculous statement I have read/heard in a very long time. Ranks right up there with “We need to pass this Bill so we can see what’s in it!”
Come on, does he really think the public is that stupid?
Maybe.
‘Better to be thought a fool than to open ones mouth and remove all doubt”
If this happens, I doubt many insurance companies will be too keen on covering these folks.
Ok let’s get to the truth here. This isn’t about hiring 18 years old to drive trucks, it’s really about addressing the truck driver shortage problem.
To fix the driver shortage problem is simple, pay better! Or at the very least pay what a lot of these companies are advertising, but don’t really pay. Time and time again I see ads out where drivers could make up to 65k a year, ( could being the operative word here) which honestly translate to somewhere in the neighborhood or 24-32k per year. No trucker I know can raise a family or pay a mortgage on a decent home with that amount of pay.
And another thing, what about the insurance companies? Sure you’ll eventually get them on board with the idea of insuring someone under 23 years of age, but at what cost to the current drivers? I’ll tell you at what cost, a drop in pay in a field that’s already under compensated. Someone has to pick up the tab on the inflated rate the insurance companies are going to charge. Trust me, it won’t be the CEO’s.
By the way I started my driver career in the 90’s and there was a shortage then, always has been. The only real difference between then and now is that the salary was more in line with the economy.
How about we start there, and scrap this 18 year old trucker non sense?!
The world were living in today is filled with far to many absolutes. Day after day, sound decision making and discretion is replaced with another “ONE SIZE FITS ALL” regulation, blindly enforced by government employees who often do not even understand what the (rule, regulation, bylaw, etc.) was intended to do.
As this applies to the topic:
We have causation, and we have correlation!
We see a CORRELATION between young drivers and increased accident rates as a whole, but it is unfair to imply causation based on age which is largely an arbitrary number since human development is not uniform.
Poor Choices, lack of judgement and perhaps maturity on the other hand, seem to much more closely related.
So if a young driver does not show sufficient intelligence, or character, don’t give them a license, don’t hire them to drive your truck, but don’t say turn away otherwise hardworking people because ehhhh your birthdays not till next week.
This comes from a 20 year old fuel hauler up in Canada, driving since 16, running tractor/trailer since 19 with no accidents or violations (18 to test for class 1 licence here)
I started driving when I was 15 in the farm fields of western Washington. I had no license, Cdl, or anything other than a healthy respect for the equipment and an older hand to guide me through the process. When I turned 18 I tested and received my first Cdl class A and drove intrastate for a bit. I’m obviously much older now and I see no issue with 18 year olds possessing a Cdl and driving trucks.
The real issue is the quality of training that an individual receives. This applies to today’s drivers as well and they are over 21 years of age. I don’t believe that you can run somebody through a school in 4 weeks or less, and put them with a trainer that has less than a year and expect quality. There is no way, in my opinion that any trainer should have less than five years first seat experience. How can you expect to improve the quality of the drivers, and the industries image if companies continually put trash on the road.
Secondly, I would say that companies go about recruiting generation X,Y,Z drivers incorrectly. If you want to attract these drivers you must first change your tactics in advertising. How about this instead of .34cpm, you say earnings of $800-$1,000 dollars a week, list the benefits health, 401k, profit sharing. Boast about the equipment and show some pictures of the interior and exterior.
The adds being published are directed at current drivers and not prospective drivers. Advertise in school publications (college, high school papers, sports events.). Take an active roll and sponsor youth activities in and around your corporate and satellite locations, work with drivers Ed classes and provide a vehicle on site. Some of my favorite memories as a youngster are when I was sitting in a truck behind the wheel. Most youngsters and even adults are intimidated by the size of these trucks and I think if the public had greater opportunities to be involved, or just climb up and sit in one of these vehicles, perceptions may change a tiny little bit.
Anyhow I’m done rambling. Just my 2c
Well said, Glen! Finally . . . someone who put some thought into it! Thank you for doing so and not just flying off the handle. I couldn’t agree with you more on the industry’s need to revamp their marketing campaigns towards the newer generations. – they don’t get what .34 cents per mile means vs weekly salaries. This new generation is also more tech savvy than any other before, so appealing to that since and playing it up could be key.
There is shortage of drivers because the ATA members do not want to pay their drivers a decent $1.00 per mile loaded or empty. The minimum age should be increased to 25 and not reduced to 18. M
I joined the Military at age 17 . had my 18th and 19th birthday in Europe I drove large vehicles towing and backing fighter Jets and large planes in and out of hangers and bunkers. I see no reason why 18 Year olds could not operate trucks on the highway given proper training. I’m 56 now and have been driving over the road off and on since 1989 I can tell you straight up I’ve met some young men that are more mentally and more mature than quite a few older drivers I’ve met out here on the roads.
The world were living in today is filled with far to many absolutes. Day after day, sound decision making and discretion is replaced with another “ONE SIZE FITS ALL” regulation, blindly enforced by government employees who often do not even understand what the (rule, regulation, bylaw, etc.) was intended to do.
As this applies to the topic:
We have causation, and we have correlation!
We see a CORRELATION between young drivers and increased accident rates as a whole, but it is unfair to imply causation based on age which is largely an arbitrary number since human development is not uniform.
Poor Choices, lack of judgement and perhaps maturity on the other hand, seem to much more closely related.
So if a young driver does not show sufficient intelligence, or character, don’t give them a license, don’t hire them to drive your truck, but don’t say turn away otherwise hardworking people because ehhhh your birthdays not till next week.
This comes from a 20 year old fuel hauler up in Canada, driving since 16, running tractor/trailer since 19 with no accidents or violations (18 to test for class 1 licence here)
I got my CDL when I was 18 and couldn’t find a truck driving job until I was 21. I delivered pizzas and drove a box truck until I had some more driving experience.
I look back at when I was 18 and I can say at that age I was too immature to be behind an 18 wheeler, much less a car. I was a fast driver everywhere I went and unsafe.
I joined the Army at 18, however in the Army you start to grow up but you are also told what to do all the time.
Behind an 18 wheeler no one tells you what to do and driving all over America and Canada isn’t for everyone. I think some 18 year olds could do the job, but I also think it is not for most 18 year olds. I also think this is another way to keep professional driver’s pay down. An 18 year old will work for much less than a professional driver, so once again this is another way to keep our pay lower.
I started driving a truck when I was 18 as soon as I graduated. It was what I had wanted to do my whole life. I am now 26 and have had no accidents what so ever. I believe that if you 18 or 81 if you got it you got it. Yes there are some very irresponsible 18 year olds out there. But there are also some very responsible 18 year olds that have trucking running through there veins and if we don’t give these guys a fighting chance then who will be driving our future. And I agree with the comment above. You want to send these younger people over seas to fight for our country but you don’t want to give them a chance at a good career behind the wheel of a truck. Come on now
Oh yeah. Get em’ young. I always suspected the ATA were a bunch of cradle robbing perverts. Now they have proved it.
I can,t believe they want to do this. try increasing the pay rate!!!!!!! and there will not be a shortage. HE*&((^( at 18 (kids) and i mean kids cant even drive 4 wheelers with out problems alot of times not alone a BIG TRUCK !!!! i believe i,m handing in my license !
Texas already allows an 18 year old to get an Intrastate (Texas only) CDL.
I don’t necessarily oppose allowing 18 year olds to begin driving under certain circumstances. I started driving class 6 trucks at sixteen, and at seventeen started driving class 8 trucks for four hours every day after I got out of school and then full time a year later. The problem here is, with me being an owner of a few trucks as well as a driver, is that if I’m going to hire a kid to drive for me, I don’t want some disgruntled driver now working as an instructor in a driving school teaching the kid to drive. I want to be able to show him the right way to drive a truck, the way I was taught. The problem with the schools, is they are teaching the people that sign up, all the in’s and out’s of the paper work and the laws surrounding the job, and teach very damn little about the actual driving of a truck other than what it takes to pass the driving test. That’s why despite all these safety regulations that have been enacted that truck involved accidents went up. A perfect example of this is, that I know a guy who makes pretty good walking around money, by hanging out at some of the old docks on the gulf coast, and charges people for backing their trucks into the docks, because the drivers can not pull it off in some cases. I’ve given driving tests to two drivers fairly recently and decided against hiring them, because they simply had no clue what they were doing once the truck went into reverse. Go into any truck stop these days and where every driver backed into parking places fifteen years ago, many of them pull into those parking places, and then have to back out blind. I can teach a kid to back a truck like a champ if someone doesn’t screw him up first, but I have a 40 year old driver who is scared to death to back into a tight place. The entire problem with trucking these days is in fact the ATA and the FMSCA. All they know how to do is audit, and add regulations, and don’t know one damn thing about actually driving a truck, or owning one and trying to make a profit. The reason there is a driver shortage can be laid right at their door step, by running off experienced, good drivers, because they now have them doing so many things other than driving, which is what they are good at. If I had to vote at this point whether to lower the age I would say no, because lowering the age, just goes to prove all the regulations have very little to do with safety, and everything to do with revenue, and control of the industry. Allowing younger drivers in under rules they design is a disaster waiting to happen. If the people who actually have something invested in this industry by either owning trucks, or making an honorable career out of it, are allowed to make the decisions, then I’m fine with it, but they are never going to give up an inch of control. On an unrelated note, unless you have applied for a DOT recently you may not know this, but the DOT wants me to allow them to speak with prospective new hires and ask them questions prior to me hiring them. I may pay for it later but I told them interviewing drivers was my job, and if they wanted to talk to them they can get their contact info on their own. If I am required to allow them to speak with drivers, the driver shortage will go down just a little because my little five truck fleet will cease to exist and there will be six unemployed drivers.
The issue seems to be the underpayment and overworking of the OTR driver. Instead of addressing the issue, the large corporations who run trucking are pressing to get immature truckers onto the road in order to take advantage of those drivers. American trucking laws are upside down, we punish the drivers for driving too hard while acting as though the corporations pushing the truckers do not get any great repercussions. Scapegoats are easy to find when the driver’s ages are getting younger and younger, if I were 18, I believe that I would think twice before becoming a driver. Any new driver of that age is asking for a giant lawsuit when the inevitable accident happens. The whole issue is depressing.
Good luck with that! Insurance companies don’t want to cover anyone under 25 in a truck. The most dangerous drivers are those between 16 & 25! I find it strange that these companies are crying driver shortage, but will fire one for trivial reasons, or refuse to hire for the same reasons. I have over 50 years of experience, and can still pass the physical, but have been turned down by a half dozen companies in the last 2 months.
I agree with the drill Sgt. send them in the army first then they can be a truck driver where the hours are long and the pay is horrible. The major reason why there is a shortage of truck drivers is the pay stinks.
18 year olds don’t have the skill to drive in all sorts of weather and situations. Lets put that aside, how many are going to put up with the low pay and long hours?
OK everybody, repeat after me, one more time: THERE IS NO DRIVER SHORTAGE.
This is a lie, told year after year by the big companies and ATA.
We “train” thousands of drivers EVERY YEAR in this country, and carriers that “pay for” this training, (that is the recent grads become their indentured servants..) are in turn “reimbursed” at taxpayer expense.
But these new drivers are so poorly trained, and so poorly paid and mistreated, at their first 3 jobs, I’d guess only 50% remain in the industry after a year, and 10% or less after 4 years.
– Of course this is EXACTLY how the big carriers designed it. – They get their freight hauled nearly free, and expenses covered by the taxpayer, and are thus able to undercut freight rates of smaller companies, and owner-ops.
– These kind of companies spend MILLIONS on RECRUITING and LOBBYING, but make no serious effort to RETAIN drivers. – They WANT newbies they can push around and pay nothing. – Now they want KIDS!
So we don’t NEED 18 y/o kids to fill these trucks.
Now 18-year-olds can be very brave, VERY smart, and hardworking, and they have better reaction time, and undiminished eyesight..
– but there are a few areas where it’s been scientifically proven that they are LESS able than somewhat older adults.
– One of these is specifically DRIVING! Insurance actuaries have known for YEARS, teenagers and young adults have FAR more accidents, than those only a few years older. – This is the basis for offering discounted car insurance rates to those over 25.
– Judgement, and risk assessment.
18 to 20-year-olds, smart as they may be, simply lack the same ability to link present actions to outcomes, that older people posses.
They don’t think they can be hurt, or that anyone else will be either.
They are FAR more likely to engage in risky behavior than a 27-y/o with the same education and IQ. Whether it’s experience, biology or both, this is a well established fact.
– Sleep. Teens, and young 20-somethings still require more sleep than older adults, and they sleep deeply and have more trouble fully waking up.
– Remember being in high school and college, and even when you were good, hadn’t been partying, and were getting 9.5 hours of sleep, you couldn’t really THINK until about mid-day?
I know young people can/do work hard. I know they serve with distinction in our armed-forces.
But I think putting more 18-to-20-year-olds behind the wheel of semis is a TERRIBLE idea.
-Bad enough to have them driving local. – add to that the lack of sleep, loneliness, pressure, and independent decision making/ judgement calls, involved in OTR, and it’s just asking for trouble.
Plus, no 18 y/o ought to have to go through the punishment that is going OTR with these big ATA-member companies..
I’d say the default should be at least 21, and exceptions only made with a special application, and extensive training and testing, and NOT OTR.
Absolutely! Wish I had read your comment before writing my own. On point 100%! I mean someone needs to go undercover (hint hint) and film what goes on in the typical life of a new CDL holder in one of these lease programs or as a company driver. I swear I’ve never seen anything like it.
“He does admit however that “Not every 18- or 19-year old should be behind the wheel of a truck,” and points to good training and proper oversight and monitoring as a way to make sure these kids stay safe behind the wheel.” Like thats gonna happen.
Everyone knows the problem and it has been said atleast 1000 times on various blog’s and forums. I don’t believe for a second that “the industry” isn’t aware that the problem is wages. OTR with these major CDL mills is criminal! And of course the laws and regulations are constantly pushing new drivers into them for “real world training.” Most people leave because they have to last 2-3 years OTR to complete their lease or CDL licensing contract in which time they realize time away from family, dealing with the attitudes of shipping and recievers, lumper service rip-off’s, and the fact when your hours are all tolled you may make 11hr. There’s a couple of CDL mills that actually force drivers at there facilities to quit their jobs and of course this isn’t said before they take that free Greyhound bus ride. The industry is enamored with shady companies that use highly unethical practices. Yet driver turn over doesn’t hurt the CDL mills because for every poor disenchanted soul that leaves they got 2 willing to take their place. So why would they need to change?? It’s not like the government is going to take back the grant money that they accept to train the student or the extra money they charge for what real is only the arrangement of a hand shake between driver trainer and student.
Lowering the age limit is not a way to attract drivers, bring up the pay scale to a wage that is not slave labor to keep your good driver. Companies have tried every trick in the book to keep wages down to less than bare bones, excuses are a dime a dozen. If there were such a shortage, then why are loads for ops so low.
I don’t believe either one of our kids would have been a good candidate for driving a truck at 18, my son could barely drive 3-3 1/2 hrs at one shot in a car. There maybe some kids who would do ok, but driver training standards already suck for those who are older, can you imagine some of these driver mills turning a kid out in 2 mo on their own.
As I’m reading the comments, I am seeing a lot of complaints about 18-20 year olds, and comparisons about the military and the same age group. I enlisted in the Air Force at 19 years of age. My job was a Missile Maintenance Technician. After all my training was completed, I was driving a nuclear weapon throughout the state of North Dakota at the age of 20. The Air Force is the reason why I started driving trucks in the civilian world. Yes the military will better prepare a “civie” to perform at his/her max potential. But, why can’t it happen in the civilian workforce? Because too many people complaining and crying without providing a solution. Since I’ve been out of the military, I have driven for road construction companies, OTR, and regional. Now I am an instructor teaching individuals to drive CMV’s. If you want to see this career turn for the better, than stop complaining and crying, and do something that will affect a positive change in your profession. I’ve taught kids that were fresh out of high school, and even retirees that are 40 years older than me. I don’t look at their age, I look at their ability to handle a CMV. If the 18 year old can drive, I am certainly not going to tell him he will go nowhere in this world, I will encourage him to strive to be the best that he can driving a CMV.
I have been driving for omost 3 years now I dropped out of high school to get class a cdl I have about 200,000 miles under my belt in tractor trailer with no accidents I have haul anything from a 5 axle low boy to a 53 foot van. my biggest issue with the age now is whole wants to wait till there 23 or 24 to get with a decent company to start there career not this guy
Stop categorising everyone under 21 the same. I got my Class A CDL at the age of 18. I went through all the required training necessary to acquire a CDL, graduated from an accredited truck driving school and passed a DMV approved knowledge and skills road test. What doesn’t make much sense to me is how I go through all the trouble same as everyone else to get the license but end up at a standstill because of a federal law that prevents me from crossing state borders. I believe if someone is passionate about being a truck driver at a young age should be backed up and supported not ridiculed and criticised. Especially in this industry with the shortage of drivers it has. Living in a small state like CT doesn’t have the advantages of living in a big state like Texas or California where its easier to find local positions. To make my self more “qualified” I decided to go learn to be a diesel tech/mechanic and get my certificate. That way by the time I’m 21 I’ll be more of an asset. Still don’t think young guys like myself deserve a chance? Were putting the effort in, how about you meet us halfway?
You guys need to think more wisely, these 18 year olds already drive behind the wheel within the states, just can’t leave their states. And all of these drivers had training and they can have training. 400 hours of on duty and 240 driving time is more than enough to learn to drive. For example i am 18 and have been sitting next to my dad every summer while he trucked over the road and I know everything about trucking and honestly can drive a truck better than many of the older people right now. I had my cdl for over 5 months now. Their are some kids that actually want to start when their 18 and that are responsible and safe drivers. Especially after the Safe driving act, their should be no worries about letting them drive over the road.