A bill has been introduced in the House which would allow truckers under the age of 21 to drive trucks across state lines.
Reps. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) and Trey Hollingsworth (R-IN) have introduced the Developing Responsible Individuals for a Vibrant Economy Act, which they’re calling the DRIVE-Safe Act. The bill would create a pathway for young drivers between the ages of 18 and 21 to earn the right to drive commercial vehicles from coast to coast.
In the proposed bill, young drivers are referred to as “apprentices” and would need to fulfill multiple requirements to earn the right to drive interstate. The first step is to obtain a CDL. Then, the apprentice would need to complete at least 400 hours of on-duty time. During that time, it is their employer’s responsibility to ensure that the apprentice is “competent” in multiple areas including both essential driving (backing, traffic laws, safety awareness, etc.) and non-driving tasks (logging hours, inspections, trip planning, navigation, etc.).
Of those 400 hours of on-duty time, at least 240 hours must be spent actually driving. While they are driving, they must have an experienced driver in the cab with them.
In addition, the apprentice must operate a CMV that is governed at no more than 65 miles per hour, has active braking collision mitigation systems, and has forward-facing video cameras.
Once the apprentice has completed all of the requirements, he or she will be able to operate over state lines in exactly the same way as a trucker aged 21+.
The bill is backed by the American Trucking Association and International Foodservice Distributors Association who are looking for a way to address the “driver shortage.”
“[The bill is] a common-sense proposal that will open enormous opportunities for the 18-21 year-old population, giving them access to a high-paying profession free of the debt burden that comes with a four-year degree,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “Moreover, this bill would strengthen training programs beyond current requirements to ensure safety and that drivers are best prepared.”
Source: truckinginfo, fleetowner, ttnews, supplychaindive, hollingsworth
If he can pass the test or she can pass the test why not if you can draft an 18 year old into the military you should be able a drive an 18 Wheeler.
There is no draft in the United States.
There is a draft they brought it back i had to fill out a draft form when i was 18 luckily i was never drafted into the military
There’s no draft and hasn’t been a draft since right after the end of the Vietnam war . What you had to do and all 18 year olds have to do is register with selective service that is just registering your name in case they have to start up a draft again. I’m 53 years old and I had to register when I turned 18.
There is no draft. Just a registration for a draft in case the draft is implemented again.
18 year olds are good for the military, because of the general characteristics of 18 year olds, like recklessness, feeling of invincibility, gang-ho bruha-ha, and lack of life experience, because without it it’s easier to pull that trigger, jump from an airplane, or just listen to sometimes irrational commands. These are precisely the characteristics we don’t need driving our 18 wheelers.
Well spoken! Lol.
I’ve driven a truck for 49 years. I’ve heard all the BS that comes with this job from the CDL professional crap and now this. Seeing these new guys coming out of these truck schools and the way they drive is just plain scary. The idea of putting kids behind the wheel would be the biggest catastrophy this industry has ever had. Crazy.
AMEN
No like button so👍
No one could have possibly said it better. And the trucking company’s know it. Whatever crazy route or timeline or pay scale – name it – that a mature adult wouldn’t want to do……
Not sure about that I’ve been doing it for along time & I’ve seen it all & no 18 yrs old can handle it Try them in NY Chicago Boston New Jersey I guarantee they will not make it.
Regardless off what the shortage of drivers is this should not be allowed . I regret not grand fathering my my license back in the 80’s but went to school for my training to upgrade from a C to an A . So they should wait till they are the legal age then go get their training . Make it right not easy for them . There’s a reason for the professional driver being called a professional driver .
I do understand what you are talking about, but if their aloud to drive within a state why not out of state? Is there something magic about a state line?
There’s thousands of so called drivers over 21 who can’t handle it now, so what’s your point?
Also when someone says they’ve seen it all they usually haven’t. At least you have a high opinion of yourself since most likely no-one else has.
I was 18 drove truck in state including Chicago so don’t say they can’t do it and anyone who thinks they have seen it all you need to get off the road when you think you know it all your a ROAD HAZARD
STFU
I started driving tractor trailers in Chicago when I was 18 that was back in 1973! Still trucking 45 years latter and still preventable accident free. The no interstate rule is and was out dated, I couldn’t cross into Gary but I could run 350 miles to downstate. Granted everyone’s different and most 18 year olds_ can’t cut it. But without great training and mentors neither would’ve I.
Keep them local and limited
Lol u right just something else for drivers to worry about rhese.kids get out here an think they know it all an hurt peeps an other drivers now that are on 22 an so on, imagine this
I’m 18 year old and I’m driving commercial truck in New Jersey
Ummmm…… There hasn’t been a draft since the Vietnam War 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Just because they don’t call it draft doesn’t mean you didn’t just sign up for war. Oh this is just in case. My ass. And why are there penalties if you don’t sign? Just like the draft. Come on ppl think.
They also thought that about if your old enough to serve your old enough to drink. Wrong!!!
Because they eat Tide Pods and can’t decide which bathroom to use.
They can hurt innocent civilians on the street. In the military it’s war!!!!!
What about a kid in high school that gets their license at 16? Couldn’t they drive after school? Maybe do homework on their 30 minute break? That’s an untapped market.
Yes , I agree he’ll if we are going to let 18 year old to drive with little , and I mean LITTLE training, and trained by a person who MIGHT have a couple years exp. driving himself, lets don’t stop st 18, hell put, m in a training program at 15 and have them in truck by 16. When I started driving big trucks I had to have 2 yrs verified experience before I could get my class 5 that’s Ga. before CDL so with traffic like it is now days guess you learn quicker than we did back in the day. Is it insurance company’s push for this or big company’s who can’t fill the seats pushing there congress people for it. In other words it all boils down to money and who has the most to get what you want
Don’t think the insurance company they got to much to lose if one of them have a bad accident
Not, remember all the big companies are self-insured.
This is all to hurt the small company
Huh
Agree 100%
LOL ur AWESOME i love it
lol
Hi all this is a bad thing to let a 18 year old drive , I was a driver for many years to many rules and laws to go by , this is bad thing , thanks
I agree and the comment below about “MAN” is just ignorant.
Don’t be dick. Damn..they are trying to put the MAN back in the MALE figure of our society… It’s good our young MEN will learn responsibly and have a respectable career in an industry that isnt gonna do anything eles but continue to grow. Whether it be driving.. logistical or operations… safety or owning a trucking company… air land and or sea…. it sets our children up with options… and a future. Who gives a shit what the GOV.real motive may be. Did it ever occur to u that no matter what the circumstances… being a man means raising one to be a man also… otherwise you have a bunch of pussies… and we’ll that’s obviously NOT an untapped market … Look in the mirror.
Sooo why is it all about it being a man’s job? I’ve been a woman in trucking for 25 yrs. I think it’s good for women to have fair paying career options as well.
It also keeps the driver behind the wheel and not a machine doing our jobs…old or young it all comes back to the training and the person giving it.
I was hauling gravel on the Trans Canada Hwy, with a semi, when I was 18 years old. All the gov. has to do is have a “young Driver” sticker on the rear facing area of the truck. I wonder how many 13 year olds are driving farm trucks? By the time they are eighteen they have five years of experience. Some can do it, while others shouldn’t be allowed to be in control of a tricycle .
An untapped market if all you need is a steering wheel holder. They pass all these regulations on older, experienced drivers and force them out then pass laws to put more inexperienced drivers on the road. Now tell me how that will make our roads safer?
Amen👍👍👍
The 18 year old can drive a 18 wheeler but is not responsible to drink until 21 go figure.
They are old enough to sign up and get killed in a “Fake War.” They are old enough to ruin their lives joining the trucking industry right? Looking forward to the road rage. Texters are boring me.
There is nothing “Fake” about wars except maybe the reason for starting one. The ATA could care less about safety, they just want to help big trucking companies get drivers in the seat. Who would be better than a young person right out of high school with bogus promises of making big money?
They already have a program like that for 21+ drivers and that program does not work efficiently enough.. and there is no driver shortage.. there are too many driver now.. and a high paying job? Come on 6 to 900 a week is not a high paying job.. 18 to 21 year old driver do not have the self discipline these days to do what a veteran driver does. This bill does not need to be passed.. 18 to 21 year olds can not stay off there smart phones in a car much less in an 80,000 vehicle . This is why truck drivers do not have any respect anymore.. heck I have seen 30 yr olds that can not drive.why put everyone else at risk because you don’t want to have to give out college grants . Truck driving is a dying breed. This is not just a job it is a way of life and not just any can do it. I have been in a truckstop walking through the parking lot almost being hit by a you drive running 35 or 40 mph in the lot.. it should be a law that schools teach drivers a little class. And teach them to run in 2nd or 3rd gear and no higher.. that would be 8 to ten miles per hour. That is all you need in a parking lot.so this bill should not be passed and I think the age should be raised to 27 or 28 then maybe we will have some actual good drivers out here and not steering wheel holders. Also it should be a law that if you do not speak fluent English you can not drive in the us. You should be able to speak rad and write fluently in English.
As a fellow driver, let me say this. If you want to impose the reading, writing, and speaking of fluent English, you might want to try doing it yourself. You written grasp of the language seems to be severely lacking.
But please, continue to exclude those who might not be as proficient as you want them to be.
Its not about proficiency. The ATA and Big Transportation Companies are trying to fill those empty trucks in there lot. They dont want to raise driver pay. They dont want to raise freight rates. So hiring young drivers that they can bullshit is they’re only suggestion. This will make the roads more unsafe until those drivers get experience or get fired for having an accident.
That’s what I think I have been driving for 38 years and half of these drivers should not be driving a bicycle bringing in 18 years old kids will be foolish
I totally agree but about raising the age. Age isn’t the issue,training and keeping tabs on drivers that if they build a bad record that not only keeps track of more than accidents, then get them out of trucks and let the drivers doing the job correctly build a better industry
12 year olds would be great too, there’s some really big ones these days.
For once, I agree with the Republicans on this. It would be awesome to train my nieces and nephews so that they can take over our fleet sooner!
Just what trucking need more dummies behind the wheel and more slow try is in the way.
Not sure they still have them ? But as a young farm kid we were issued farm licenses. Had to be 12 though. To heck with school. Cut em loose on the super slab. Especially with Uber and the ATA as well Tesla and the rest saying we’re (Truck Drivers) all history in a matter of 10 years. What a job opportunity & market. Yes. It’s as stupid as it sounds. Be safe.
And we’ All be traveling by jet pack by 1970
you are 100% right on that Jay- teens isolating themselves from others while becoming adults can have serious consequences further down the road. I know I had a lot of growing up in my younger days- hard lessons, heartbreaks etc. everyone goes through phases in life. Putting a kid in a cab and sending him on down the road is robbing him/her of important life milestones. trucking is more than a job, and not for everyone- worse, it can be pretty hard to get out of if you find it is not right for you. At least most of us had some career/training to fall back into if things didnt work out out on the road- kids dont have that.
I agree
This Bill is scary as Hell. Imagine an 18 yr old, taking 18 wheels with 80,000 lbs over Dinner, Truckee, Cabbage, Tehachepie…..in December, Jan, Feb. Ohhh my GAWD!
Amen
I fully agree it’s asinine
Look who backing the bill, the ATA. the same people who has helped implement governed trucks be lowered. which we all know how that driver will speed when ever he gets in the 35-50 mile hour zones to make up the time.
Amen…….
34 years road time know what your talking about. 😎
Canada allows 18 year olds coast to coast with 140000 lbs on the highway.
Yes but we can not insure them unless they meet certain standards. You can drive for 2000 miles and never see a city of over 250,000 people. Our Fed government in 2006 wanted to set minimum O.T.R pay at 1.9 times our minimum wage plus overtime after 50 hours per week or 10 hours per day. The large U.S (ATA) took Canada to task and stopped this pushed elogs and speed limited and the importing of offshore people who did not know how to drive in snow 716 800 5814
It’s Canada bro.
Yea “Oh my GAWD” how stupid is that? We can’t even trust our 18 year olds to go out and protect our country. Heaven forbid they are taught to drive a truck on “Dinner” Summit. That’s at least more training than the big companies are doing to the steering wheel holders now . Or have you not noticed the carnage brought on by the mega fleets and their “Driver Training Programs” With some decent training there is absolutely no reason we can’t send them into a truck. I know I started at 18 as did many others, And was going over state lines before I was 21, illegally, but hell that was 40 years ago.
I agree! It’s scary
Yea learned on a farm too but those days are far and few. Not too many staying home to work the family farm…chasing technology and money
Sorry. Also find it odd that it takes 800 hours of hands on training to become a pet groomer at your local big box pet store. Yet in half that time 400 hrs. Actually basically half of that time 240 hrs I can wheel a 40 ton big rig into downtown LA at rush hour. I’m stoked. Thinking I’d almost pay to see it.
You got that right, I’m 18 years behind the wheel and don’t like la, or dc, especially ny, and jersey, sounds like a swift sponcered bill
and they leave judgement up to the trucking employer. We all know how they lie!
And these big companies will put these kids in with so called driver trainer to get trained when they only been in the trucking industry 6 months themselves
Kids work cheap. To them $500 a week is a fortune. It’s always about money.
Sure wish an 18 year old could drive a truck interstate in years gone by. If so I could have done it right out of high school as scary as it is to think of someone that young driving a truck. Sure beats working at lousy jobs most high schoolers and post high schoolers end up at.
Well, the autonomous vehicles just got a shot in the gut. Uber auto drive car killed a pedestrian.
We are not history in 10 years. States still haven’t approved auto drive trucks with no driver. Still need a CDL qualified driver to take over if technology malfunctions, like airline pilots. Only there if something happens.
Agreed Robert, autonomous technology has been in the works since the 1980’s from companies like Nvidia out of California and still today it is no where near being a regular part of society. Electric cars are just recently making a major leap into the industry and they have been for sale to the public for years. (1) We don’t have the infrastructure at this time that will allow fully autonomous truck to act solely without a driver. (2) They are pushing the idea based on it will be safer then human control, yet the technology has already lead to its first fatality. Just their claim alone does not hold Merit for who builds the machine? Humans, so you still have the same amount of risk involved or even more without the person in the vehicle
Truth. The infrastructure is not there in this country to allow for safe driverless trucks, let alone cars, as has been show by the fatality in Arizona. Until the driverless cars can be proven 100%, they don’t allow fully autonomous trucks. I hope. Sadly though, I am concerned that the business side will push for it, as it’s more money in their pockets, as they will not gave to pay a living operator.
What a concept. Allowing some under 21 year old the duties of operating all that weight, plus the thousands of dollars of cargo, other people’s lives. The cost of one mistake could be in lives or more money than I would ever want too invest. Say for a “apprentice,” to get licenced in GA, FL, TX. Then drives in CO, WY MY during the winters. Not experienced enough for any situations they have never had in the 400 hours of training.
Going to up my insurance for this.
They do it now just not across state lines! Some of us were born to be drivers and some get into it later in life. I knew what I wanted when I was 7 so if a kid wants to be a driver shut up get out of their way and let them be what they want to be!!!!
Wow. From the mouths of babes. You know you’ll be out on the road for weeks/months at a time depending on which one of the monster companies sign you up. Ya know. By yourself. Your Mom doesn’t get to come. You need to feed and cloth yourself. Get up and work. Follow company as well as federal regulations. No spring break. Recess. Summer vacation. Christmas vacation. Probably gonna be working on your birthday. When the weather goes south. Snow. Blizzards. 30 below zero. Tornadoes. Brown outs ect. There’s no reset button. Don’t get to click your heels together and go back home. You get that right ???
Keep up the spirit but please be safe and do us proud
But sending them to war, with far more dangerous machines is cool? They are mentally ready to kill & die for their country, but not to operate heavy machinery?
They are trained in the military far better than in these company training programs.
What about haz mat? Never mentioned in bill.
As a professional driver with many years experience some loads I hauled couldn’t be in a 18 y/o hands: in an accident people witthin 25 miles would be gone!!!!!
Yet these same 18 yr olds can join the military, be issued thousands of tax payer dollar equipment, be in charge of millions of dollars machinery and put their lives on the line for us. I don’t know, seems kinda relevant,if they can do one than they can do the other.
It’s going to be a junkyard out there if it passes!
The ATA big boys are pushing it so it’s all about money. They want to expand the driver pool, so there is less demand for them, thus the driver pay can be kept at the current sweat- shop type level. I guess, with Trump’s sceptisizm toward immigration, the big boys won’t be able to flood the market with drivers from India any more. So this is their next move. Funny how this time they don’t want to sell their new, brilliant idea, as something that would make the roads safer. That would be awkward. So they dress it in “giving young people lifetime opportunity”. Because ATA cares about young people so much. And pigs can fly. But not to worry. Knowing Millenials and the state of our profession, somehow I can’t see them lining up and breaking down the door to the recruiting offices of ATA member companies.
The ATA can not bring enough overseas drivers in to keep pay rates down when walmart is telling drivers to leave with no hours.
This sounds like the Werner training program. I guess we know who is really hurting for drivers… the puppy mills.
I made the mistake of thinking I could make a career at one. But if you don’t do their dollar store dedicated runs, drive team, or become a trainer, they gradually de-prioritize you on their load planning board until you eventually do what I did after 6 years… quit.
Now I happily run a dedicated linehaul run every night, weekends off, with a company that knows me by name and asks for my employee ID number when filling forms only.
the puppy mills? thats a good one, lol.
God help us all !
We do have a driver shortage. We do need solutions. Part of those solutions will probably include the autonomous trucks, younger operators, better training and, (what is not mentioned often) better driver wages. What comes to mind here is”old enough to fight and die for country but not to drive a truck”????
Cant purchase a firearm or buy alcohol but can drive thru the Dakotas in Jan…Smh…
you are right, i got my license when it used to be 18. been driving truck since. BTW 2 consecutive million mile safe driver awards
You are perfectly right in my country I first started driving solo before 15 years old driving an old 1960 KW this was in 1973 . I lost my youth in the wilderness, break downs in middle of nowhere, bad weather with loneliness while other young boys of my age enjoy. Now that I’m old looking back I see that it was a waste of life time how many important dates I missed.
We do NOT have a driver shortage. Not at all. Never have. Lot’s and lots of drivers out there. What we have here is an industry unwilling to pay enough to retain safe and experiences drivers.
Plain and simple……this bill is all about the insatiable greed of the carriers.
The driver shortage is a myth designed to keep the low paid inexperienced new guys rolling in as fast as the experienced drivers realize how badly they are being taken advantage of
The driver shortage is a myth. There are 100 guys competing for 500 meals in my industry (fuel tankers)
So let me get this straight. They dont anyone 18-21 to buy rifles or shotguns, but they don’t mind giving them an 80,000 pound missle? This will be disastrous! Some 18 year old kids can handle it. I could have handled it at 18, but I grew up in and around trucks since the day I was born. Some kids are naturally more responsible than others. However, there is no way to tell which ones. They will hand out CDLs like candy to everyone that has $6,000 bucks!
You know it’s companies like “we don’t need to train students” C.R. England, “So Will Insurance Fix That” Swift, and the other big companies that use and abuse drivers. This is just another way the corporate greed is giving the industry I’ve given 27yrs to a black eye.
That was my first thought.
Sad thing is, ya don’t even need 6 grand to get your license…. most major carriers are so desperate for asses in seats they will outright pay for a guy to go to school to get it. Imagine an 18 year old walks into werner or swift comes out with a cdl paid for…. terrifying
That’s why we need long periods with respectable trainers put back in place
Well can’t be any worse than what the Mega cariers do now importating drivers from over sea’s that can’t even speak English
SPEAK ENGLISH!!!!
About time we are putting our children first instead of people from other country ….maga
Putting them behind the wheel and sending them down a mountain is not looking out for them
Half the people out here arent mature enough to be doing this. Why not add some more? They entertainment value will be great. Testosterone fueled fights in the parking lots, more accidents, 18 wheel drag races. Military is one thing…you have commanding officers watching over you. You cant be a police officer til age 21 either. There is a reason for that.
but that involes learning to use judgement. the trucking companies want drivers as dumb as they can get them.
Yes most kids that age are that: kids. But, don’t take away the chance to those that are young but act respectable and are brought up proper by the parents. Blame the parents for raising little out of control maniacs
who is going to police the companies to make sure the student drivers are in fact getting the right training. A lot of truckers now should not be behind the wheel
Build an independent structure based on drivers with good records and attitudes OOA
Maybe they could Facebook and text also as they drive just like what they do in a car.
I’m all for this. I got my CDL at 18 and was a local driver up until I was 24. Times had gotten tough so I went OTR. Since then I’ve flipped back and forth as a local/OTR driver. The past 4 years have been OTR. Once I get my truck paid off, I’m going back to mostly local under my DOT number.
So truck stops will have safe spaces now? And lets not forget special counseling after seeing an accident.
I can just see it now, the truck stops will be full of skinny jeans, man buns and vans sneakers
Don’t forget those of us while facial piercings and colored hair😉
50 year old grandmother driver with a nose ring and lavender hair😊
funny!
LMAO!
An therapy pets!
This is absolutely stupid…..there is already enough steering wheel holders out here and now you want kids to join the stupidity….right
Dumbest thing i have heard today…maybe the bill writers need ride in the truck with some of the fresh graduates now while they drive (ha) along, facebooking, texting, playing video games, running others off into the median, etc, etc..maybe even put driver facing cameras in them so you can see the fear as they crash into the back of the truck they are following after it runs off road into the trees..
no problem handing them an m-16 to go kill overseas though
I’m not quite sure what everyone’s issue with this is? Its been the law in Canada for as long as I can remember. I started driving before graduated licensing came in. My dad had his on business and I was driving a 30′ straight truck with hydraulic brakes at 16. Then when I turned 18 I started driving transport and have been at it for the the past 26 years. The restrictions seem pretty steep, but I’m quite confident that there will be a number of responsible driver’s, especially those who have grown up around the industry, at the age of 18. Just my 2¢.
Thank you for your 2 cents
We are short of truck drivers because of the government. Get the government out of trucking and we will have plenty and better driver’s.
How about to help decrease the shortage of CMV drivers and bring more people into the industry…is to increase wages and benifits signicantly…and bring take home pay to more substantial earnings and financial security!!!
If you’re not allowed to drink alcohol responsibly, you’re not allowed to drive an 80,000lb truck under the age of 21. Brain cells are still maturing and developing until the age of 25. Sounds like motor carriers are lobbying these two state representatives, and all bets are off, unless a concerted effort stops them. Suggestions?
The problem isn’t a driver shortage it’s carriers that don’t pay enough $$$ to get the driver’s.
100% agreed
You are right the companies are the reason for the shortage due to drivers not making any money
high paying profession?Im gonna laugh all day..
were still considered unskilled labor by the labor board
This could be one of the worst decisions they could make if anything should raise the age not lower it most young people on the road don’t have the patience and respect to be a truck driver it takes a lot more than just sitting behind the wheel
Age has nothing to do with competence I have seen many age groups turned loose with a Truck and should not be authorized to operate a huffy bicycle
Kinda strange is our government really trying to make our roads safer with all these ELD regulations but now u wanna put a 18 year old kid in a truck, Kinda looks like they are catering to big truck companies issues so they can play the truck swap game so easily with kids or any body they can put in a seat…SMH
Not about safety but money. Same with them trying to make you buy a new car and turn in your old. One that THEY sold. Over seas. The new tractor with def that corrosive to the motor and can’t pull a hill to save your life. I’ll keep waving to you as I pass you on that next hill in my old 379
How about to help decrease the shortage of CMV drivers and bring more people into the industry…is to increase both wages and benifits signicantly…and bring take home pay to more substantial, in par, cost of living earnings…allowing for better financial security!!!
I did drive for 17 years and finally decided to quit doing what I love and do best. But seeing what you drivers have to deal with everyday, just makes me believe I did the right thing and yes, I feel bad for all of you, real drivers.
I have no problem whatsoever training young people to drive at 18, and would have said this is a good law, then I read the part that says they need to drive a truck with the dashcam, the radar collision avoidance, and it has to be cut back to 65mph and I can see ATA and mega-carrier bribery all over it.
The collision avoidance tech is garbage, slamming on the brakes for birds, bridges, and bushes, that aren’t on the roadway. Literally slamming on the brakes for no reason, which has and will cause accidents.
The dashcam and 65 mph part is just as stupid, and has the exact wrong outcome, which is making these young drivers into Swift and C.R. England drivers, who are literally the worst on the road due to the lack of actual training and the focus on gadgetry.
It would produce a far better driver if the law was designed to put these kids in the truck with drivers like me (though I don’t know many teens I’d want to train lol) who have over 30 years accident free driving, hundreds of thousands of miles in mountains and snow, and can teach them how to actually operate a truck as a business, but I’m not putting that type of technology or that limit to my speed. If I want my apprentice to drive slow then they’ll drive slow by not pushing the throttle down as hard. Anyone I’ve taught to drive, and there have been quite a few, learns to avoid accidents, not by relying on hokey tech, but by constantly maintaining control over their space, forward, sides, and behind them so that they know what is going on and can anticipate problems before they occur.
This bill does not create drivers, it creates cheap steering wheel holders.
AMEN!
Hey industry, raise the rates and you will be surprised how fast you will recover drivers shortage. All experienced drivers, who quit by some reason, will sit behind the wheel again.
Don’t become a driver do something else an enjoy your life too much headachs now everyone just wants more from the driver but not much pay for all extra headaches ,,,,,how many lives would be saved if they stop self driving cars an trucks for safety reasons
This bill being proposed really shows what they really care about. The mega carriers are hurting for drivers so they lobby for them to lower the interstate Trucking age limit. It seems that contradicts the safety agenda being pushed with the ELD mandate. This is more proof that this whole ELD crap was initiated by the mega carriers.
Exactly! Key words you mention; lobby and mega carriers. Enough said
U r so right.
Yap. It use to be called mafia before.
My response to this bill is simple.
* see Dead People*
That’s is just what we need a bunch of 18 year old kids running around the country with a 40 ton tractor trailer on snow and ice that hasn’t even driven a car on snow and ice yet well here comes the law suites like you never seen before. WHO ever thought of that alt to have there head exsamin turning a kid loose with daddy’s big rig
They were trying to get this passed when I was in highschool in the late 90s. I was so stoked I knew what I wanted to be since I was 7 but it didn’t happen ! I had to wait till I was 21 so on my 21st birthday I crossed into cook county Illinois heading for Ohio. Some of us were born into trucking I was conceived in a 76 cabover pete. I know for some of you that were not trucking families that make this hard to wrap this concept around your brains but there are people out here that love trucking trucks and being alone roaming the highways of America!! Don’t be a hater be positive and I say let them do it. God speed and God bless👍
Isn’t it already bad enough out here!? Can’t wait for retirement!
10 hours a day for 40 days makes 400….so, just over a month of training? How is that any different than what any of the mega carriers are doing already anyways? Oh, that’s right…the ATA started this. And we all know who’s side they’re really on.
i agree!
What is wrong with our government 18 year,s old , no way 20 yeat,s ok I don,t want to be on the road with them been driving 53 year,s an still learn stuff , traffic family,s people u going to someone 80,000 lb bone go head i.ll watch come on start training at 18 give them c,d,l. At 20.
It’s not about Just Over The Road Truckers you have to have a commercial driver’s license to drive a lot of things people that live close to state lines can’t work across the state lines if they’re 20 years old and example is power lineman for power companies
OH I forgot what are they going to pay them seance they have no experience 18c a mile like back in the 60des and 70des these companies all they want is cheap labor they figure the younger they are the cheaper they can pay them that what it amounts to
And this is all that counts. Money. If something is not making sense that is for sure about money.
Can’t fix stupid lol
A bit ironic they continually come up with ways to restrict, govern, monitor, limit and pass laws to enforce against the trucking industry and its workforce. Of course this is all in the name of safety, right American Trucking ASSociation? Now some of these same people think it’s ok to train 18yr olds to drive trucks. If your veteran workforce needs constant governing what the hell is your teenage workforce going to need?
A psych evaluation, paid for by the perspective employer, but conducted by a non-biased 3rd party should be a requirement, as well… There’s enough road rage (usually caused by inconsiderate drivers running against the governer & refusing to relent) without addind youthful temperament to the equation.
SMH!!!!!!! What has trucking come to? I grew up wanting to be a Trucker because of my Dad. I went to school got my CDL got some over the road training and have been trucking now and logged over 5 million miles plus safe. Now we’re going to let 18yr Olds loose out here with 80,000 only after 400 hrs of training. It’s clear that the mega carries are the ones behind this and really hurting for drivers these days. Looks like the ELD is putting on hurting on the industry also, just ridiculous.
No point in wasting a comment on this..!!
If these companies would up the pay to where a DRIVER can TAKE home around $1100 to 1300 a week AFTER taxes insurance you couldn’t BUY a job in this industry and they would get better qulafid driver’s. They spend more money on advertising AND training driver’s they would come out a lot better if they took that money and pay the driver’s more.
It’s time to retire. I don’t won’t a kid with a 40 ton vehicle on the same road.
18-21 years old may get insurance coverage but man is that going to be a price tag to a company!? They wouldn’t get a job until after they were 21 anyways. Waist of training for those young people.
This is going to be disastrous. 18 year olds don’t even know the meaning of responsibility. There is a reason why you have to be 21 to drive Interstate. I would rather take my chances with an autonomous rig than seeing drivers still wearing diapers driving one.
Interesting. I know teenagers could drive school buses at one time in the not too distant past. I’m curious about the legalities of this. A child who is 18 years old is not old enough to purchase a vehicle, sign a real estate contract (I.e. rental agreement/lease) or even buy alcohol/tobacco products (at least not in my home state) and yet, we would put them behind the wheel of a T/T? I get attempting to give them employment options in a high demand field in a job market that has become less favorable to youngsters but, this is a field for grown ups and, often requires a greater degree of maturity to maintain your sanity as compared to other fields. Then again at 18 they are old enough to sign up for war so I guess this isn’t so bad. I guess we’ll all just have to wait and see.
These carriers would rather have more drivers for less pay anyway!….it’s coming to the point where if your not teaming the money is terrible..These Mega carriers don’t pay crap!…. I’m not concerned about age..You have allot of experienced drivers who don’t follow rules/regs….constantly on phones and ignore safety signs!…
This is for the big companies only. Just another way to fill a seat. Truck must be governed at 65, active braking and collision avoidance systems, forward and rear facing cameras, oh and the ATA, do I need to keep going?
My thoughts exactly. Thanks for saving me the type time!
just another way to get speed limiter’s and driver facing camera’s into all truck’s, with-out having it mandated for everyone!!!!once they start it it will never end. I wouldn’t drive for a mega=carrier for any amount of money!!!!!
First of all, this is ridiculous & flat out dangerously stupid! Yeah they don’t want to increase truckers pay so let’s throw some inexperienced kid in a truck aka death trap. It’s a hard job and definitely a stupid as hell bill. Your life will pass you by. Think don’t truck drive choose another profession.
This is a stupid law. 21 to buy a tiny hand gun but 18 to drive an 80,000#-105,000# rig at 65 with a month behind the wheel? No. The only way to even consider this would be to restrict training to flatbed in winter in states with mountain passes CO, MT, WA,WY. If hey can safely drive with chains on at night in a snow storm at 2a.m. and nothing goes wrong during the winter, maybe he can drive on his own in the summer days on flat roads with a dry box. You know that minimum training won’t be required of an 18 year old.
We had same logging rules from the 50’s until 2003. How many times they have changed since and were safer then. Now no time for napping. Just drive tired. And kids! Really!!!
I started at 17 in a log truck in 1967 still driving put then in the woods if they live their a driver
Bad bad idea,!!! No one under the age of 21 has no business being on the interstate that soon,. Very Very Bad idea!!
Desperation, not common sense, most of the time will get you in trouble! It’s only an introduction at this time according to this report. But, (and that’s a big but), I’m trying to figure out who came up with 400 hrs of training! 240 hrs behind the wheel which is equivalent to 10 days! Sounds to me like big trucking company lobbyists have been hammering Washington D.C. for a solution because experienced drivers know that these large carriers want to push these new drivers out the door and into an 80,000lb truck as fast as they can!
Only in the United States of America would you hear of a ridiculous plan such as this you people keep putting these people in Congress and there won’t be a safe place in this country
Yup, couple of their republicans sponsoring that, and I’m sure a couple of their democrats will chime in support, something about “good for the middle class” I’m sure.
Happy 1.3 trillion republican spending bill day. Couldn’t let those dems be the only big spenders.
What’s stupid about this bill. I see absolutely nothing wrong with it. That will give some of the immature ones that’s running around robbing , stealing and shooting a chance to get a job and see what it’s like to travel and make good money at the same time. I have been a truck driver for 27 years started when I was only 19, illegally of course but I got the training I needed to become the 27 year vet that I am. I have over 3 million safe miles and counting. Have never wrecked, thanked GOD, never have gotten a speeding ticket. Age don’t make them a bad or good driver, practice, common sence, patience and maturity does though. I see every day older drivers doing crazy crap, wreaking there rigs. Why because they have became complacent and think they are super truckers. Speeding and popping pills to drive long hours. I say give them a chance.
The law of supply and demand. This is all about the money. Right now, there is a huge shortage of qualified drivers. That equates to higher pay. Add 500,000 drivers to the equation. That drives down wages. The huge trucking companies such as Swift, SCHNEIDER etc… This will be just a distraction. We fight over symantics. The trucking companies laugh all the way to the bank. It ain’t about safety or creating professional drivers. In the early 70s, I was driving heavy equipment around to my landscaping companies sites when I was 16. I went through some transmissions and dinged up some other things, but I learned. All of these new drivers will do the same. But, in the end, it is all about the bottom line.
Well i fought for my country at the age of 19 and couldve have been kill as well so i say let them drive if they can handle it
Good point
The insurance would be so astronomical that hiring a teenager would be financially prohibitive for most companies.
Most big companies are self insured so it won’t matter to them anyway
Well at least their promoting within instead of out of country lol. I did see speed restriction at 65 mph that shouldn’t be difficult for companies to adapt too, since 3/4 only run 65mph anyway. Hopefully other companies will drop to 65 mph to create jobs for these young Americans. The highways will be over loaded with bottle necks and traffic jams, will surely slow down those reckless 4 wheeler. Hopefully when all this extra delay comes DOT will revise 11 hrs of drive time to 14 to compensate for loss time and miles.
here’s an idea. GET THE GOVERNMENT OUT OF TRUCKING.THEY SCREW UP EVERYTHING THEY ARE INVOLVED IN.
I started driving trucks when I was about 15. From the field to the silo. My uncle rode with me at first. Every time I scratched a gear, he would reach over and slap me. It is a pretty was a pretty good training method. I have no idea WHAT he might have done if he caught me speeding. It was several years before I hauled cows to the sale barn (with my uncle) Kids can do it. They just need an effective trainer like Uncle John. The man has been dead for years and I still think about him when I make a mistake…I still feel the urge to “duck”!
I think most would agree that there are some 18 year olds that could do this with adequate training but there are a lot more that couldn’t. Just look at the older drivers entering that can’t. It’s not age related, but ability which many don’t have and never will.
Just another way for the sweat shop companies to fill a seat.
Seriously someone or some group thinks this will help with driver shortage. The best advertising is word of mouth. Regardless if it’s neg or pos. The neg word by mouth is the one were folks listen the most.
Example after my son went to local community college for 2 yrs. He still wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. At this point I just want him to work. I suggest truck driving, I will get him a CDL his response was “hell No”. He said after listening to me bitch about pay and benefits for the last 10 yrs not to mention a divorce. I smiled and laughed. Said your right.
Here we go again the federal government making rules and regulations for truck drivers that they know nothing about adding 18 year olds to our profession is diluting our professionalism. We’re still trying to wrap our arms around E logs there’s no parking at night an electronic logs do nothing but make you chase the clock because you’re on the clock sad
Heres a proposed bill make us all rich government “workers”. Or better yet show some decency and make a proposed hourly wage for truckers on these extremely unsafe roads out here 10/4
This is actually a sound plan. I drove 17+ years, Million Mile award. Then trained drivers in community college for 25 years . Problem now is right out of high school kids can go to school to be a plumber, electrician, name the trade. But we tell 18 year olds come back in 3 years. So they wind up working a string of crap jobs like fast food. Then they finally come back to us years later when they’re desperate for a real trade. I have often asked for a law like this, even went to Washington more than once to speak for it. There are 18 year olds who are mature enough for this, and many who aren’t. I believe good training and honest observation and testing will weed out the ones who aren’t right for it. I’ll also add that the industry standard of four weeks / 160 hours “basic training” for 21+ year olds that exists today is too short. It needs to be set at a minimum of 240 hours, and that could be incorporated into this legislation as well. Problem is the “puppy mill” carriers referred to earlier and the “CDL mills” vehemently oppose any standards at all. Getting serious about real standards and requirements for truck driving schools will help improve public safety and actually start to have a real effect on the “driver shortage” everyone is always screaming about.
They can vote. Drive a tank in the military, be armed, fight and die for our freedom. After a little practice, driving a semi becomes as routine as driving a car.
They will be fine for the most part. There were plenty of 18 year olds when I was in Iraq that were driving trucks caring explosives and other trucks carrying troops from Kuwait all the way up to Baghdad Iraq we can have a 17 year old kid join the military and serve their country I joined when I was 17 and I’ll tell you what there’s plenty of confident 17 to 21 year olds out there and that Apprentice program for the truck drivers can weed out the ones that aren’t confident enough to handle this truck driving across state lines. A young man or young woman starts to drive trucks over the road at 18 by time they’re 21 they could buy their own home.
The military is NOT the same. BTDT. You go through a tough month of basic training. You get discipline and learn to pay attention to detail. You go through job training until you are competent. And you ALWAYS have a chain of command assigning you work and checking on you. That is not the same as this “apprentice” program that just sounds like any mega-carrier’s current “training” program. Then they are turned loose to operate on their own. No thanks. Maybe it IS getting to be time for Mr. Khat to hang up the keys….
once i realized i was not going to vietnam at 18 yrs old, i got my truck license, thats right it USED to be 18. i have been trucking ever since. i have 2 million mile safe driver awards. i dont see what the big hoo-ha is. trucking is not for all. just like anything else in life.
It sounds as if all you whiny … think your little sap suckers are going to be behind the wheel of a big rig. Just because your kids can’t handle themselves or a four wheel car doesn’t make all 18 years olds as incompetent as yours!!
Let them 18 Wheelers Roll On Big Mama
So implement a b.s. ELD system for “safer roads” but now let’s let kids drive 80,000 pounds texting across the USA!!! If we do not strike soon we deserve what happens to this industry!! It would take 3-5days to make America focus on our needs and change things for the better for all truck drivers! We must at least fight against teens driving damn trucks across the USA!
It all depends. There are some very dependable 18 year olds and others are not. There are some 30, 40 and 50 year olds that are not the best drivers either.
I don’t even care that I’m bucking the trend… I am all for this. There are plenty of kids that have grown up around trucks from an early age that I would have no doubts in throwing behind the wheel of a truck. And for those that talk that it’s nuts to throw an 18 year old behind an “80K missle”… How would an 18-year old “knucklehead” be any different than a 40 year old one?? Pretty sure age itself doesn’t bring wisdom… Trust me, I can put money on the fact there are 18 year olds that could outwheel some of these middle aged guys by a long shot!!
But the most “practical” reason I think is for the reasons I always wanted this myself. Obviously, the current law is “cut and dry”… 18-20 can only drive in-state…(can’t cross state lines). But there are no mileage restrictions. Well how is it that if an 18-20 year old lived in California, they can run back and forth, clear across the state, up and over mountain passes, through heavy city traffic, etc. But yet another kid can’t run 20 miles over a state line.
When I was 18, I got my CDL living in AZ. I lived on the AZ-CA border. It was impossible to find a trucking job, because almost every company ran to cities about 50 miles away in California. My age and getting insured wasn’t the hindrance… It was the law that had absolutely no exception or tolerances.
They will be the fastest and furious on 18 wheels as we all see this idiots racing little Honda cars in the streets , freeways , and even the in parking lots
The largest problem is: with all of the changes the D.O.T. has placed on the industry the drivers are the ones who take a beating. Fr all the ones who “think”, they know what they know what is happening,they better stop looking at the industry as a joke and if that’s the route they take,I can only wish them well. But look at it all,not from the governing.look at time. Number one…..
This reminds me of what the Germans did at the end of WWII when they couldn’t find enough seasoned soldiers for the army. They drafted young boys and very old men, anybody who could hold a gun was conscripted into the army. We know how that worked out for them.
The answer to the driver shortage isn’t to fill seats with much younger (and dumber) drivers, it’s to make driving more attractive to well trained professional drivers by paying them a better wage. Reward great drivers with great pay, and get rid of the problem drivers. It ain’t rocket science.
The Patriots of America did the same thing against the British they armed 12 and 14 year old boys to fight against the British and we see how that worked out. Our freedom since 1776 is looking pretty good you can thank a 14 year old with a musket for that.
I think if they are going to let kids drive 18 wheelers at 18 then they should lower insurance cost for the younger kids 18 to 30 year olds and let them drink at 18.
There’s a lot of 18 year olds out there that has more sense than the older adults. I don’t see anything wrong with it, as long as they get the proper training. They’ll have the cameras on these trucks to monitor them. If they don’t do well, they won’t be able to drive. I’m a retired truck driver, and there’s a lot of truck drivers out there that has no business driving a car, let alone a big rig. They tailgate, speed, text, and don’t pay attention to what they’re doing. If a 18 year old can get the proper training, and act responsibly, and can handle these big trucks, then I don’t have a problem with it. They’ll be well trained and monitored, before they’re put out there on the road. They’ll be better trained than a lot of truck drivers that are out there on the roads now, and I honestly believe that they’ll be safer.
I don’t think this is necessarily a bad idea. I’d feel a lot more comfortable on the road with an 18 year old that had 400 hours of training than a 21 year old Swiftie who got turned loose with a truck after a week or two with a trainer.
If they are going to let kids do that then why not have them team drive with an experienced driver for like six months to a year to get a good handle on it.
Trucking companys know an 18 year old will work for peanuts. Here go our wages.
This program sounds like a certain companies training program and it has 3 different levels and is a company sponsored school. Fair warning unless something has changed in the past 3 or 4 yrs these young adults won’t have the burden of high cost student loans for college but will be somewhat of an indentured servant or a slave to a company that is only focused on making money for the company. While they preach “the driver is important” they will be left with the debt of the company sponsored school if they breech a so called “contract”.
They r not smart enough to drive a semi. At that should be a two year check
Really working hard to make trucking a minimum wage profession (job) would be the corrected term. Every civilian across this country will suffer most will be lives taken by a kid behind a weapon on wheels if you put this nonsense into play.
Why complain? Now every body will have more work, the police, the emergency responders, the mechanics, DMV, judges, trainers, counselors, truck stops. ParaMedics and Ambulance.
What else?
Roll on Eighteeners and Roll on 18 Wheelers. Giddy Up Go! Teddy Bear and Phantom 309…
Driver shortage BAH HUMBUG drivers just got smarter and left industry. Can’t afford to keep working for free
Please do not OK this bill, if you will drive only 35 miles around farm country, maybe. We have to many young people out here and they think they own the road and everything else. Most of them think they are driving a 4 wheeler and change lanes (without blinker on) like we breath. 80,000 lb is a lot of weight to put into the hands of an 18 year old. Remember what you did at 18 and double it, because I didn’t have a cell phone (no cell phones), Internet (no internet) or hate (truck drivers had time). It is like giving an 18 year old a loaded gun.
A person’s brain is not even fully developed until age 25, young people can see the world differently until experienced. I passed another young truck driver this week who had an open cup of liquid in his left hand while watching a movie on his smart phone placed on the steering wheel, no wonder he was weaving all over the lane, all in the dark of night.
It’s crazy.ive been a driver for years.if these companies would stop the lease programs.and pay higher mile rates it would be a lot better for us older drivers.its not that we need more new drivers.we need higher pay.all there ganna do is tell them leasing a truck is big money.when all it is .is more in the hole for these new drivers.and more accidents.more deaths.come on people.all we need is to put a stop to all these lease programs.and force these.companies to pay the good drivers they already have.more change for the miles we dive now
This is the kinda crap that caused me to voluntarily surrender my CDL after 16 years.
And 95% of this garbage is either government and or ATA pushed.
Watch the major lawsuits begin when the first kid kills a family of 6 in their mini van.
Will I still get to smoke marijuana
I’d like it if just you could drive interstate without any extra training. When I get my CDL, I’ll probabyl start on a dump over CDL. Our excavating company is located so that pretty many of our jobs are right over state lines. Driving only 20 miles in one direction can put me in another state. If someone who was 18 was in Texas they could drive forever and be fine, but not me going from Ohio into Indiana because that crosses a line.
What about non-cdl drivers ???
I can not get a straight answer I have a truck and live with in miles of 4-5 state lines MD, VA, DR, NJ , PA
Where are the high paying jobs they are referring to? I know experienced drivers over the road only grossing $700 a week. Which is truly sad. Of course they work for the major crooks (swift, Warner, J.B Hunt ect) I Spoke with a recruiter a while back. Breakdown pay after the first 24 hours then $100 a day. Yeah right I would be ubering it to the air port during the first hour I am not getting paid. I agree with a previous post on here at that age they need to experience life. Not be alone in a truck.
you mean party row at midnight at the local truck stop is not experiencing life?
And these big companies will put these kids in with so called driver trainer to get trained when they only been in the trucking industry 6 months themselves
Hopefully no short cuts will be taken in training these individuals. Also hope that trainees realize responsibility that they will be taking on with driving these behemoths down the road
Jerry Moises must be behind this. Its identical to the mega’s training practices right now. He must need even dumber drivers to wreck his trucks and kill people.
Next they’ll be recruiting in Nairobi and Nicaragua with no English speaking or reading requirements but if they fail the drug screen by testing positive for Jenkem, that’ll be ok.
We need to keep this consumer / services based economy floating at any price, including loss of life.
There you go ATA again with there head up there ____
again.
Must be money in it for them somewhere.
Just another con game by the goverment. A way to govern trucks and flood the industry with more dangerous drivers than we now have. Is there no end to the stupidity of this goverment.
FIRST thiese hours required are not enough time..it should be at least 500 hours of behind the wheel..not class room…. SECOND…ALL NEW DRIVERS SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO HAVE PROPER TRAINING…not only the younger drivers.. and THIRD.. The trainer needs to have a minimum of 5 years driving experience.. IN ALL TERRAIN AND WEATHER..not somebody with 3 months experience.. like with one company
Really?18, if it wasn’t so sad it would be funny. What were u doing at 18?
Fixing heavy lift helicopters for the US Air Force. Did that until I was 26.
Been in & out of trucking since 1999. I know a lot of truckers disagree with me but I always believed truckers should get paid by the hour with time and half after 40hrs. But I also believe no trucker should take a job paying less the $30.00 an hr. I’m not sure but I think if this is the way it was we wouldn’t have a shortage of drivers. Now of course the cost of goods would go up it would have to chase instead of the truckers paying for it killing themselves & breaking the law. The public would
I have said this many times.Hourly pay would make it much safer out there and stop a lot of problems.
I’ve always said, “The easiest way to get a driver to obey speed limits is to put him on the clock.” Paying miles encourages a driver to push the limits, speed and equipment.
Let an 18 year old kid drive an 80,000 lb piece of equipment across country- but don’t dare let them buy a gun. If you are adult enough to do one- you are adult enough to do both
My wife and I drove for 34 years. And. I don feel that at18 they have enough time behind the wheel. In the years we drove we seen a lot of young drivers but none of them were under 21 . Don’t let this Bill pass.
It’s all about driving.
First thing is they need to train the so called drivers coming out of these so-called schools now, for gods sake how many times have you seen them take out polls and 15 min to back in a dock or parking spot.
Oh yea super trucker you could back in right away out of school. everyone needs to learn especially the slow trucks in Chicago that clog up the second right lane
This is a very stupid idea
Food sevice companies are whining. Of course they’re going to have a shortage! Who wants to start their day at 6PM, drive multiple hours and then play lumper all night? Anybody with half a brain, no matter what their age is going to want a garbage job like THAT!
Bill French you get the good star , pay is the only reason they want this
Minimal training requirement: 240 hrs drive time @ 60 per week. The driver will be “trained ” and cut loose in 4 weeks of driving. The remaining
160 hrs will be crammed into two 80 hour weeks because there is no limit for “on duty ” time. That’s pretty much what is you going on now except this bill includes the technology safety net insurance of
cameras, speed limiter, collision avoidance. Even the name of the Bill is one giant cup of Kool Aid.
I drove CA intra since day one at age 18. Seventeen months prior as a teen in training all across the States. Was I mature enough 40 years ago ? Yes and no. Is the world the same place ? No way. Trucks today, since the mid 90’s, drive themselves. Trucks of yester year required skill. There is not the Comradeship or Brotherhood. Speeds are greater. Trucks faster. Traffic 10 fold.
As far as giving a kid a rifle and calling him a Man does not make sense. Yes the Armed Forces accelerate you into manhood. They are regimented and Supervised. This Bill tries to convince you employer oversight is adequate. NOT.
Great paying ??? You got to be kidding me. You pay peanuts you get Monkeys. Take a look around you.
They won’t print my comment, because they don’t like the truth!
Duncan and Hollingsworth got there hands in the ATAs pocket.
I can understand the argument that at the age of 18 you can volunteer to serve in the armed forces. As for the prior comment about the drafting of individuals at 18 what rock have you been hiding under there has not been a draft in over 30 years. The military is a great way for our youth to receive experience and gain the value of being responsible which is terribly lacking in today’s education system. The military teaches the core values needed to be responsible in today’s world under the supervision of others not out on their own traveling across America in a 40 ton vehicle. Allowing this to pass would be a win for the mega carriers and a definite safety hazard to all. The pay will drop accidents will increase and the drivers in this industry will suffer while corporate will prosper. Call your Senate and Congressional representatives and voice your opinions on the dangers that this will create. To sum it up this is a dangerous situation if we allow this to pass and we as professional drivers will bear the burden of corporate pulling the strings to profit on outrageous decisions made by others.
As a 25 year veteran driving commercially, I’ve read mixed thoughts and opinions based on this topic in the above. My expressed opinion on this subject matter is to keep things just the way they are meaning anybody under the age of 21 should not be allowed to operate interstate commercially yet only to be allowed to run intrastate only based on the lack of experience concerning maneuvers, traffic situations, weather conditions and etc. Lastly, in the current state of affairs OTR Over The Road, there is an increase of younger people in commercial trucks operating them in a manner that I feel is quite unsafe not only for themselves but potentially affecting others around them in close proximity. As an Example…
Having their left leg cocked up against the dash with their foot to far away from the clutch, if they had to react within seconds they couldn’t get to it in time.
Driving in open toed foot wear, that’s a huge no, no.
Driving while watching videos / tv on
Laptops open while driving
Ear buds in ears listening to whatever vs listening to the sounds of your truck to determine if something is not right.
These are just a few examples that I have personally seen / witnessed. Let’s not forget about no using turn signals in making lane changes, more and more I see per as commercial drivers using them less and less.
There is so much more I could include to this msg but I’m trying to stick to highlighted points based on subject matter.
Thank you for reading.
I’m a retired otr driver of 42 years.if I had to do it all over again.
( I WOULDN’T). So go ahead and work 70 hrs a week for 30hrs pay.
It’s much easier to train an 18 year old straight out of high school than a grown baby. Why do I want to find somebody who already has roots somewhere when I can get youth that wants to travel. The only part of this that’s irking me is “In addition, the apprentice must operate a CMV that is governed at no more than 65 miles per hour, has active braking collision mitigation systems, and has forward-facing video cameras” but I guess if you never let someone out of the cage you don’t have to worry about them fighting later to get out
Many trucking companys now allow untrained so-called drivers to train new people. I’ve seen ads for trainers wanted with 3 – 9 months driving experience. You people are putting all of us, truckers and 4-wheelers in danger of these inexperienced drivers. You need to pass a law that the trainer must have 5 years otr experience. If not, all you are doing is passing on inexperience by inexperienced drivers. You see it every day on the road. New truck drivers tailgating 4 wheelers and driving like they are in a car. Very dangerous. Any politician pushing this 18 year old legislation is an idiot and should be held accountable for any damage or deaths caused by them.
I have been otr now for 23 years I have trained many people to drive a truck. Some of my best students was just 21. Because they was young and no real bad habits driving I was able to teach them proper driving and proper backing they listen very well they were used to taking orders from a teacher and if you teach them right they can go down a big hill but no troubles if they have the right trainer it all comes down to training knowing they are okay to do the job if not keep them in the truck train some more. if still not ready send them home. I’m not saying I agree with 18 year olds driving a 80 thousand pound rig what I am saying some of them might be okay . And it is a lifestyle. They do need to be ready for this. No games it’s real life
Hmm, must be a HUGE difference between 21 and 22? Johnny just wait til your 22nd birthday tomorrow and you don’t need any training. Lol
Ha ha ha. 40 years ago, at 14 I was loading potatoes and onions next to a harvester in the field, at 16 I was hauling potatoes and onions to town from the farm. What’s really funny is that we had real trucks. 5 spd main boxes and three spd brownies and two spd rear axles. 5×4’s twin sticks!!! Most drivers out here now can’t drive even a 15 spd single stick!!! Automatics, then most of you “drivers” drive your trucks like you in a four wheeler and you idiots paid money to go through swift or England or some big box company truck driver training. Too bad you didn’t learn it the hard way, hands on! Most farm kids can drive better than you so called professional drivers. I’d sleep behind my 20 year old nephew way better than you so called professional drivers. So quit whining unless you’ve got some useful to say.
High paying career? HA! Not if you count all the hours drivers actually work. If an 18yr old wants to earn a living working tell them to stay in school. I told my children they will never drive a truck! They WILL go to college.
Spending four tears being put to sleep by lectures delivered by teaching assistants because the real teacher is writing a book doesn’t guarantee a good paying job, or even a good job. Tech schools offer a lot more options, lower costs and shorter instruction times with no wasted time on irrelavent classes .
Yea. Met one of em….. Backed into my New Freight Shaker …Cant wait for more..There will be so many accidents.. Blocking Interstates… No Deliveries will ever be made…
Just what we need..
This is the ATA trying to avoid the obvious solution to any driver shortage. God forbid that driving jobs should pay enough money to make the job attractive. At the highest levels of commerce employers know that they have to pay enough to attract the best and the brightest. Look at executive compensation packages. Higher pay for drivers is the last resort for trucking employers; that’s why they would rather lower standards than pass on legitimate labor costs.
All this is because they are having a hard time finding drivers to fulfil the demand.
These kids think it’s big money in trucking
And when THEY find out diffrent
These companies will be in the same boat
Sure, lower the age to drive a truck across the country to 18 but raise the age to buy a gun to 21! Everything is so screwed up these days.
I’m 57 years old, I didn’t have to have a CDL in the military, drove for 18 yrs, now that I want to drive a tractor trailer, I can’t get any help to train for my CDL , I guess if I was 18 I would get the help.
Insane. Older drivers are childish enough as it is.
18 is the age here in Canada. I got my learners permit in 1998 on my 18th birthday. 30 days later I took my uncles truck and an empty deck and did the road test. 18 yr olds are different these days. I don’t believe they have the maturity needed to be driving a semi. Here in Canada we see less young people taking the career path of a truck driver. So lowering the age won’t close the gap on shortage of drivers. They only thing that will fix Driver shortages is better wages. You get what you pay for. Thus being the reason I have left the industry. I couldn’t stay afloat running down the road with guys who would run for nothing and drive worn out trucks.
I’m a professional truck driver with 35 years and counting. I’ve been to all 48 states. I’ve seen some of the worst accidents you can ever imagine. The last company that I worked for, right before I left had just recovered one of their trucks that went off a cliff. The whole passenger side,starting from the front quarter panel to all the way to the sleeper was ripped open like a sardine can. People’s property was still in the truck, with a drivers license sitting on the passenger seat. To you stupid ass Republicans who don’t know what it takes to handle something this big, why would you then turn around and put a totally naive 18 year olds like in jeopardy. Like I said I’ve been doing this for 35 years and I still get scared everyday. What you need to do is take all of the money you get from us truck drivers and built us lanes strictly for truck and buses across all 48 states. Remember trucks don’t move country suffers.
Since hiring decisions are largely driven by the insurance company’s willingness to cover a driver, a law like this is not going to put drivers on the road. After all, you can legally drive with a crappy CSA score, but not many insurance companies are going to cover you.
Been a trucker for over 45yrs. Love my way of earning. A living. Hated what had to do at times. Such as being away from family weeks at a time . Load a load of cattle have to have them back on the ground 1300 miles 30 hrs later. Never a chargable accident……my opinion you have to love you work or you will be miserable. If someone at age of 18 wants to drive a truck just because he is offered. X amount of money. And that is only reason would say no. Havta to have common sense above all …..driving a truck and being a trucker is two different things…a person has to first want to care bout what his career is gonna be. Pride in his truck and his profession. Old school is still around.
If an 18 is old enough to die and give the ultimetsacrifice for our freedom then they should be good enough for anything else.
more than likely insurance rates will be more for these young drivers, trucking companies may not hire them.⛟⛟⛟⛟⛟⛟
I’m all for young men learning a trade and getting to work asap but maybe something less dangerous.
Also not a fan of sending puppies to war.
My 19 year old son can’t find a job anywhere that pays. He is a better driver than me he just needs to be trained and he would be ready. No doubt in my mind.
Your son is a better driver than you and he hasn’t been trained? what does that say about your driving?
Are this people serious about this?? I am just speechless
With electronic logs, GPS tracking, driver facing dash cameras for driver behavior management surveillances, and sleeper berth smaller then prison cells. Not to mention every four wheeler on a cell phone playing Pokémon Go and dispatch threats if you don’t respond to their texts and answer your phones. Just fire up your crack pipe son and corporate will give 5 to 1 odds you kill a family of five before you’re 20.
Got my class ones at 19 no problemo. Been driving ever since. The difference between 18 to 25 is not much. For me it hasn’t been. If a person is serious enough to train for driving a truck than he’s probably stoked enough that he’ll pay attention. The younger the better. More years of experience. Git er done..
Why would and 18 yr old want to here you will get 2 days off every 2 weeks. They will figure out that pretty much sums up to 2 days out of the month to be home enjoying life.
“2 days”?? Don’t you mean “34 hours”? I worked for a company that would get me home on a Sunday at 6 AM and wanted me back in the saddle at 4 PM Monday, rested and rarin’ to go.
Finally, someone is focusing on the training of these new drivers coming out. Forget about the truck and all the technology, without a level headed, well trained driver behind that wheel, the same problems will always be there.
One question for the robot truck supporters: What are you going to do about the drivers that target your truck to mess with, getting in front and tapping brakes to slow you down, pull out in front while trying to pass or the ones trying to cause an accident with you?
it’s cheap labor that’s all.
The worst people to try and teach are the old guys who lose their 9-5 and decide hey I’m going trucking. Then it’s I’ve been driving my sport compact for 30 years I know how to drive, and then comes the automatics blind spot monitors front collision avoidance. Trucking is a lifestyle decision it’s not for everybody. As far as young people not wanting to be away there has become a huge push in the new generation to push back against societal norms. This is being displayed by tiny house living, traveling around in a van and altogether searching for some kind of freedom the millennial generation has been excluded from that past generations have been able to indulge in all based on the like that is “safety” lol what a joke
i quit after 19 years because of elogs and idiots, any politian that supports this bill IS NOT WHO YOU WANT IN OFFICE,
Are actual truck drivers coming up with this legislation? I doubt Duncan and Trey are actual CDL holders. If I’m wrong please insist. Don’t let someone write legislation on a topic they have no experience in. It’s counter intuitive and illogical.
maybe 18 is too young for the military.
maybe newbies could learn in an off road setting; in drop and hook yards which will have to be expanded if volume is going to increase.
equipment is better now.
roads are better now.
there is no age limit on stupidity.
there is no age limit on competence.
drop yards 200 miles out would get everyone home every night; and populate the wide open spaces.
slow, unmanned trucks seem to be the future; i hope they are safe.
We might as well forget trying to make a retirement or live our lives trucking, between kids driving an self driven trucks, we are loosing a part of history that has made this world go around to garbage like this an the rest they have coming
Some of these comments are off the chain. 240 hours driving in 10 days?
I don’t think 18 year olds will be beating down the door to be a part of an industry that has lost respect for each other. Once they have a “true” understanding of the sacrifice required they will be running to their safe spaces. There are 18 year olds that have the maturity and proper mindset for this career.
Hell we have to many, over 21 yo’s, drivers out here that shouldn’t be.
Trainers for these drivers should have at least 5 years of safe driving experience and training must be strictly monitored.
Wow, just imagine….pimples on your face, nice new tuxedo, girl by your side, your wallet is PHAT because you just got your CDL at 18 years old. Only thing left to do now is pull that fine fine 18 wheeler up to the last dance of the year, PROM. Unreal….and next on deck is the toddler program…
Think I might have to go back and stay home locally if this bill ever passes. At least this way, I will have a fighting chance by staying local and in the city. Wait, I have an idea, let’s put the 18 year olds in the same lanes with the autonomous trucks. Let the 2 of them mesh together and finally solve THE DRIVER SHORTAGE. Maybe if you paid us what we really deserve you still might have seasoned/safe drivers on the road. Hey let pimples do it at 10.00 an hour. Good investment. As soon as one of their family members is involved in a serious accident, and or a fatality, they will realize the sins and collateral damage of such a bill. But all this is about is BILL, anyways.
Duncan Hunter R-CA and Trey Hollingsworth R-IN introducing DRIVE-SAFE ACT…Before trying to get such a ridiculous bill passed why don’t the 2 of you see if you can 1st clean up the mess that’s occurring on US highways now, today? You want them on the road, okay, but 1st they must pass the Wyoming test. First, we want to see how you will handle the truck in moderate to heavy winds. Secondly, now night falls, wind still blowing, and now comes heavy rains. Third, we want to see how well you will handle the snow and ice. Your mission, to successfully leave Cheyenne and arrive at Cody, Wyoming. You will have blowing snow, high winds, not 55mph+, enough to keep you focused, Daniel son, and of course ice. One lane on I 25 is not driveable, solid ice. You take I 25 all the way up to Sheridan, then cut across Route 14 because dispatch doesn’t want you to go into Montana. Route 14 is 80 miles across, with an elevation of around 7500 feet. Both lanes snow and ice. Get to Cody, Wy, young man. If these 18 year olds can make this trip, he’ll ya, let them DRIVE. Vegas has already kept these new drivers off the board. Why? Because they won’t make it. This is the exact reason why this BILL, needs to be killed before they kill themselves or others. Facts are facts, they won’t make it. I did but I will never do it again.
I started driving big trucks at 18 yrs old. New Orleans Dallas Houston Memphis Baton Rouge etc. Hauling wastepaper on dropdeck and flatbed over 100000 gross weight. It takes alot of concentration and talent. I never had an ride along instructor. However I was raised alongside trucks.
Weapons of MASS DESTRUCTION…..
An 18 year old with a CLASS A CDL….
I am not overly concerned because it won’t pass and besides that the vast majority of parents probably won’t allow it….
Insurance rates will be extremely high…
At 18, I was chasing bunnies, not BILLS
Once they see what living conditions are like inside a true cracker jack box, college might just be a better option…wait a second, i have an idea, GET THEM A BIG BUNK, that will solve the problem
900,000 driver shortage. Let’s hire them all today. Worry about parking tomorrow
This goes back many, many years. When I was going to uni in Detroit in 1958 the only summer job I could find was a construction job in Northern Ontario, Canada. I was eighteen at the time and hired on as a labourer on a rock crushing machine. Within two weeks, I found myself being trained as a truck driver in a fairly new Reo (5-4 if any of you old timers remember this tranny). Our haul was twenty-nine miles each way and on the Trans Canada Hwy. For the first two weeks, I had nothing more than a drivers license. I studied for two days and took the test for a Canadian Chauffeur’s License. I was eighteen years old, had one week of heavy haul trucking experience and was driving on a major coast to coast to coast highway. Eighteen years can do it; however, I never did reach the modern highway speeds of today’s highways. Fifty-four later, I retired from the life of an OTR. A sensible and mature eighteen year old can handle the job if he or she is trained properly.
If implemented, I predict waivers to the training/requirement being requested to put these drivers on the road sooner than the law requires.
Of course there will be waivers. Name the single federal law that doesn’t have waivers. A law with waivers for anyone is not a law.
Let them ride, if they can be trained to shoot a rifle/ hand gun at 18 and or younger they can be trained how to ride an 18 wheeler.
What is this “high-paying profession” mentioned early in the story? Given how many hours the average OTR driver puts in over a week, pay is barely above burger flipper wages.
R u serious we have enough issues with ppl who can’t speak or read English n others who don’t belong behind the wheel ever. Plus with the new eld mandate the truck traffic alone quadrupled no way they don’t have enough driving experience to be interstate
And if implemented I see many many more accidents I mean they don’t have respect these days for anything else what makes yall think they r gonna respect the machine n rds and other ppl
Personally I think anyone who wants to be a professional driver regardless of what type of vehicle needs to have at least 5yrs experience driving period with an excellent driving record prior to. I also feel it should be mandatory to go thru a basic automotive class, simulators, and be taught the basics of other types of vehicles on the roads today to make these kids aware anything bigger than a 4 wheel vehicle doesn’t operate, stop, maneuver etc as a 4wheeler does- not even one hauling any type of trailer prior to receiving any type of licensing!
I say go for it drivers with 10 years experience still drive like its their first day so go forth hell why not make it 16 lets just put everyone on the road.
Agree it does sound a little scary. But I’ve been training veteran drivers on how to load/unload tankers. And I can promise you my 18 yr old can to better if given the chance. All he’s ever wanted to do is drive. At least he can drive a stick.
Really a bad idea. REALLY BAD.Most if not all 18 to 30 year olds is to immature and wants to party hard drink drugs sex etc.
there’s no shortage on drivers just professionals. To resolve this (1) get these shipping/receiving to load/unload in a timely manner there’s no need of taking 2 to 8 hours to do it. ( that’s why I stopped hauling food products) (2) get common sense into the auto drivers not every accident is the truck fault. (3) relax a bit on the hos most if not all of us old timers follows the laws and hate that the laws changes every other year or so. (4) get the law enforcement officers to relax a bit there’s no need to treat us like we are the worst criminals on earth just because we drive or may make a minor mistake (admittedly there’s are good officers and even worse drivers) . (5) set a minimum standard pay across the board. A driver told me yesterday that she was making 0.25 a mile heck I was making that in 2000.
(6)Stop wasting our time at the weight station if no officers are in the station close them don’t make us go in for no reason. (7) get the csa point system to be fair to not only the drivers but to the company there’s no reason to put csa points on our records if we couldn’t prevent something like a accident or a bad repair job
First of all get rid of the camera facing the driver that’s a privacy act not recommend to sure the saftey just another way to watch some one that’s why we have rights in America at that age it’s too young sry but there brain sn’t exactly thinking like adult would me personally wouldn’t let my son drive it’s unsafe and there’s gonna be more accidents that way you mise well just send them all to swift driving school just my opinion period.!!!!!
PS … There isn’t a shortage of drivers there’s a shortage of driver pay and respect to the driver there is enough respect and higher pay much higher pay and these sign on bonus there a joke thses Trucking companies otta be ashamed of there pride doing that that’s ignorant anyways they tax over half of it people just see the dollar signs not the fine print and disrespect they give you out the door once you’re out on the road. I call BS 1 of 2 ☝️
Their not a shortage of drivers, their a shortage of pay.💰