The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is moving forward with its plan to allow 18-20 year olds to drive commercial trucks across state lines. After a year of waiting, FMCSA has proposed a pilot program and is asking for feedback from the public.
Large carrier groups like the American Trucking Association (ATA) have been trying to get the interstate trucking age lowered to 18 for years. In the past few years, they’ve taken massive strides toward making that a reality.
An 18+ CDL driver pilot is already underway for military veterans. When it proved difficult to get enough interested people who actually qualified for the program, ATA pushed for the program to be opened up to non-veterans as well. FMCSA complied and back in May of 2019, asked the public for input on what a pilot program for under-21 truck drivers might look like. Over 1,000 comments were submitted.
A year later, we have what the FMCSA has come up with. The proposed program would allow 18, 19, and 20-year-olds to operate CMVs across state lines. Drivers can qualify in either one of two ways:
1) Take part in a 120-hour probationary period and a subsequent 280-hour ‘apprenticeship’ period established by a carrier.
2) Have at least 1 year of driving intrastate CDL driving experience and at least 25,000 miles under their belt.
All drivers in the pilot program would also be limited by certain other restrictions. They include being barred from hazmat, special configurations (doubles, triples), and moving people. They also will be required to drive trucks that have active braking collision mitigation systems, forward-facing cameras, and a speed limited set to no higher than 65 mph.
“This is a significant step toward improving safety on our nation’s roads, setting a standard for these drivers that is well beyond what 49 states currently require,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “This is an amazing block of talent with unlimited potential. If our freedom can be defended from tyranny around the world by our men in women in uniform, many well below the age of 21, then it’s quite clear that we can train that same group how to safely and responsibly cross state lines in a commercial vehicle.”
You can read more about the pilot program proposal and make comments on the federal register website.
Source: truckinginfo, fleetowner, overdrive, ttnews, freightwaves, FMCSA, FederalRegister
Do the math. 18-19 year olds won’t have the required experience. What 18-19 year old is a veteran??? How?? What years add up to the requirements?? When do these kids start, at 16/17??? Be smart. Bad idea
queen bee – the vet angle wasnt successful for your point. driving intrastate for 25k is not that much to qualify. you can drive a straight truck and earn that in a few months. intrastate has always been 18 min. it just makes it to where you can beat the few year wait to 21 .
If these 18-19 yr olds go thru an accredited technical school and get the proper training starting off then get with a company that keeps them in training for another 8 to 10 weeks with a driver then they should be able to handle it. There are a lot of drivers out there that go to these 3 and 4 week schools that they only show them how to pass a test and are not properly trained. So what about those drivers?????
I worked for a major carrier a number of years back and I was asked to train drivers.. I suggested they bring in someone to train the trainers so we all would be on the same page.It worked out just fine. I failed about as many as I passed . I would not pass them if I was not sure I and my family would be safe with them on the road. More than a few had trouble looking at what was in the mirrors . All they seemed to see was the mirror not the traffic around them. On the bus home.
So true
Agreed
I agree with allowing 18-21 year old to be able to the job if properly trained. I know more than a hand full of guys including myself that has been driving cmv since age 18-20 and we all are still trucking 25+ years later with no issues. It depends on the person not the age. If a person can go fight for their country at 18 why not give them a chance at other careers. We all forget that someone took a chance on us at one time or another. I say if the youngster wanted to learn and deal with all the restrictions let them.
Dam straight new drivers now are not even getting the schooling they claim you got guys driving truck s that do not even speak english ,which is against dot regulations I don’t even see fmcsa doing anything that’s about safety in the last 10 years I got a big mouth I talk to drivers I don’t even think there’s a real driver shortage I got let go from a company for getting in a turn lane to go back the other way they said they don’t allow u turns even legal ones company was Carroll Fulmer I got no tickets no accidents no csa points does that sound like they need driver s
Just a bad idea! Too young!
So yall just going to get a lot of people killed
If your past 30 your an old people . It’s old people old people their trying to kill.
I’m in favor for it, if there are stricter guidelines. Similar to getting a driver’s license, there should be more guided training, HOS reductions, regular monitoring (maybe driver facing cameras for those under 21), etc.
Because there are people out there more than responsible enough, like those who grew up in rural America on a farm or something. We just need to make sure we can make a higher barrier of entry to keep the cellphone addicted hormone fueled ones out.
What 18 year old kid is NOT hormone fueled? I sure was.
Yeah, sure. Let’s change all the rules to acomodate you, big carriers interests and the two kids at some farm somewhere in America. The will of the few shall not be imposed on the majority. So, NO!
I understand your thinking but and it’s a big but, why do we have to put up with potentially hundreds more accidents a year on our highways that are mostly preventable just to cull the bad ones out ?. These children and that is what they are, are not mature enough to be piloting a semi down the road . They can barely drive their cars safely .These children will not be able to leave the phone alone when it beeps you have a text and this will end up killing and injuring far too many people on our highways.Yes there are a few exceptions. Damned few. The argument some use about” if 17- 18 year olds can fight for our country” is absolutely BS. Soldiers get so much more intense training for combat if that is their job in the military than any driving school can give them learning to drive a truck.You can’t compare military training with any civilian training, don’t go there., Let the children be children.
I see, every day, grown adults blazing down the road with their heads down in a cell phone. Look at what it stated, extra training on top of what they already may have from driving Intrastate. Making them drive with a co-driver for at least 6 months would be preferable. When I started driving back in the early 90’s I had already been in a truck most of my life because of family members that were drivers. You can learn a lot just riding and paying attention. Give them the extra training, if they cant pass it successfully, then they don’t drive!
Military training a joke ,don’t go there
Very well put mousekiller
Well, the FMCSA will find a way to come up with more restrictions to bottle them up also. After they have put them there they’ll be asking for 15 and 16 year olds to to drive. More restrictions more open jobs.
It is a very bad idea. They dont have enough experience
HELL NO, pay us more you dont need them kids driving big toys
It is of poor taste and judgement when the CEO Chris Spears try to justify support of this, by means of comparison to our men and women in the military. The 2 subjects have no comparison and are of 2 totally different environments. This is another fine example of the ATA being political and not doing their research before making a decision. The roads are dangerous enough without your assistance in furthering the highways to an open war zone. Stop utilizing data studies from the assistance of the larger trucking companies and actually have true research done from actual experienced and knowledgeable people
We have enough CDL holders out on the roads that can’t leave their cell phone alone.. You’re not helping the problem by putting babies in a Big rig. Not Good.
Exactly!!
So the HOS restrictions were enacted for safety reasons but then they are going to allow 18 year olds to drive semi trucks. Interesting!
ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN IT,S BAD ENOUGH OUT HERE NOW.THAT,S ADDING MORE FUEL TO A FIRE THAT BEEN OUT CONTROL SEEM,S LIKE FOREVER.ALREADY HAVE DRIVER,S WITH YEAR,S UNDER THEIR BELT,S BEING CARELESS ENOUGH.MAY AS WELL HAD OUT FREE NITRO AND SAY GO FOR.IT,S ON THE SAME BASIS.
And what effect on insurance rates….
Well most of the Carriers that will allow it. Will be self insured Carriers most likely. Their insurance that kicks in on high claims might go up a little. But these Carriers rape these drivers so bad. So They will still bank pretty well on the scheme. The Veteran word from before was a scheme because they couldn’t get enough veterans. That they start bringing other people in. Which is Ultimately what they want anyway. Cheap labor.
He or she hasn’t yet enjoyed the best wisdom in his drive
18-19-20 He or she hasn’t yet enjoyed the best wisdom in his drive
As long as I’ve been driving tankers 25+. I’ve seen more responsible 20 year olds than a lot of “experienced” drivers. Does qualified driver experience disappear because you pass through an imaginary line on a map. State lines should mean nothing. But bureaucrats make it a big deal. And us old farts need to realize. Smart people don’t really want to do our job. Need some enticement.
Ya that’s why they want driverless trucks. And 19-19 year olds they can trash.
Go drive roadtrains in Australia at 19. USA nanny state.
It’s all about indoctrination. Get them in a truck from the start that is speed limited with all the cameras and other gadgets. They will think it’s the norm. People sitting in an office always think they can tell someone how to do a job they’ve never actually done. Ask Swift how that’s working out. They have all that safety stuff on their trucks and more accidents than any other carrier. There is no substitute for experience.
1000% Correct Bullfrogg
Amin
I drive a ’21 truck with every bell and whistle on it. Literally. It is constantly beeping and yelling at me, and locking the brakes up for no reason. It takes an experienced driver just to handle the equipment and manage all of the distractions.
Very bad idea
The accident ( fatality) rate is bad enough now do to drivers not driving their trucks rather racing the clock. This will only make matters worse, with the inexperience of younger drivers.
True
Your right. Even the FMCSA admits since the ELD was mandated accidents have risen dramatically. Now they want more on our roads and drivers will get the blame..
That’s probably the goal.
There are plenty of parties interested in a rise in accidents and fatalities.
Trucking must be more widely viewed as a dangerous profession and a hazard to the public for them to widely implement self-driving trucks…and not fold after the first few casualties of computer error.
Absolutely Almost the Dumbest idea the NON DRIVING RULES MAKERS HAVE COME UP WITH!! The Top WORSE IDEA ELECTRONIC LOGS!! Young 18 19 years Holding 80,000 lbs. INSANITY AND THE MOTORING PUBLIC, PROPERTY DESTRUCTION, DEATH WAITING TO HAPPEN!! RETIRED Truckers Should Be In Charge of Rule Making. They Know the Road, Shippers n Receivers, Road Regulations and KNOW FIRST HAND PUBLIC SAFETY AND VEHICLE S CONTROL DONE RIGHT!! I m AVAILABLE NO CDL RULE MAKERS!!
absolutely not!!!!.way too young.im a 40plus year veteran driver.
Way back, I had a chauffeur’s license when I was 18, but I only drove a 1-ton liquid tank with a split shift and a PTO system.
We were ranchers, so we youths were driving in the fields and around the ranch.
Not sure that equates to an OTR position.
Is America really that short of drivers or are we just looking for lowering wages with cheaper labor?
I drove when I was 18 but only around yard and occasionally in town
Let them droive.some will do good some will not it is in some people blood.they learn fast.
WILL.Are you willing to put your family at risk so some child might become a truck driver? That is exactly what you are saying your willing to do.
I got my cdl at 19, at 17 my brother had three freight liners. Two employees and on his 18th birthday he was on the road.our dad started training us when we were in diapers, by the fourth grade I knew I was going to drive truck
You are 1 in how many? I learned on the farm truck. The problem is, 99% of these kids are dangerous in a supermarket parking lot.
There is no way I would entrust my life to any of the kids I know.
What a man
FMCSA…. shouldn’t be in the Student Driving School business for Driver Learner….. instead concentrate on the “safety and well-being” of the current conditions and regulations for those 25+ with experience and track records.
Young kids under 21 will fail future programs costing older experienced drivers setbacks.
Really? Have better idea. Why not focus on those so called CDL Driver Schools (the starts for the most part). They churn out more unqualified operators than many of the older established larger schools.
You can begin by initiating an interim CSA program that pulls the ticket on a graduate driver that receives ANY type of moving violation citation within the first year. This would require remedial training and recertification BEFORE their class “A” is reinstated….
It’s just a bad idea. The ATA is supported by large companies that want more bodies behind the wheel, and a corrupt government willing to aid those companies. More rules and regulations (read “safety”) and nanny devices on the equipment won’t make up for young drivers’ lack of experience and lack of emotional and mental stability (and social skills).
You’re quite right…
I suppose the kids would perform ok during summer wait till winter show up they will be all over the scenery .
Funny
Very true…there is no substitute for maturity and real-life actual experience. Maybe side-by-side team ( both awake ) working with a ten year plus driver (making extra) to keep the newbies from making fatal mistakes…. for several years. Force these big companies to make a REAL investment in these young people they seemingly so desire.
I’ve driven over 35 yrs and I don’t drive in winter either f that
Here comes more super carrier deaths !!!!
I’ve been driving since I could reach the pedals. At 19, I was a hothead that was way to over confident in what I thought was skill. How I didn’t kill someone is a miracle. I don’t believe times have changed that much.
The major carriers are pushing this in order to have nubies that don’t know any better. Pay a fair rate and quit the over regulation from the government and you’ll find there is no driver shortage
Same here … I was no where near mature enough and How I was is how most KIDS are !
I was 19 and fighting for the USA in Viet Nam. If I was mature enough to fight for UNCLE, I guess I was mature enough to drive a truck. Its really not that hard..28 years on the Road, no accidents, no tickets( except 1 speeding 55/45)
I think the times of loneliness was the worse part, not the driving. Thats the real question, what are they gonna do with this time. Momma wont be their, in the military we got drunk, cant do this on the road and at truck stops. So I vote NO!!
Archie wilford Silva. Thank you for your service. I am a vet also. However one cannot compare the training you get in the military with what a civilian driving school gives students. A completely different set of rules and purposes for training. Military is so much more intense and the military training is not about pushing up and down the highway trucks or jeeps.After intense training you still have the Sargent’s looking over your soldier until you prove your self many times. The kids today cannot handle it. Well, most of them can’t.
This is murderously insane. We’ve all seen them drive passenger vehicles. Now they eant to put them in 40 trucks?
The death toll, and lawsuits will be catastrophic.
40 ton trucks
Yes, an 18-19 y/o child can be taught the ‘mechanics’ of driving. What won’t this child have? Judgement. Be careful what you wish for.
For crying out loud! Look at the 18-19 year olds on the street. I wouldn’t trust them with a bicycle, let alone a $150,000 tractor, $50,000 trailer, and a load worth $$$, PLUS the millions of $$$ I’d lose in lawsuits when one of those punks crashed!
NO FREAKING WAY!!!!!
33 years out here when these jokes start running down the road time to jump ship God help us all
Big big mistake. These kids live their lives on social media. Can you imagine how many accidents they would get into for distracted driving and how many can pass a drug test .
God help us and the rest of the motoring public
I see an uptick in Twisted Trucker videos in the near future
another question is does it really matter public opinion for FMCSA… dont want to repeat myself, but word “safety” should be removed from abbreviation FMC A
A.T.A. just wants a new supply of dirt cheap labor.
Just a,way to get cheap inexperienced labor ,dangerous and not more efficient
How about paying the real drivers,real money. Instead of trying to make it look like their making money.By working 7 days a week.gone mandatory 3 weeks at a time. How about backing off on government ,strong arming drivers. While you company corporates sit in your big houses. Without a protest with your drivers on the government. I hope you lose everything.For not standing side by side with the ones that created you that big company and big house. Alot of us older school drivers and small fleets lost 1000s over these elogs.lost everything. Now, they are wanting to give 18yr olds a semi truck to drive.and most still are playing games in mommies basement. The lack of maturity in todays youth,isnt there. So,lets give them a 80,000lb mobile bomb.
I don’t know what you’re talking about , since e logs came out my pay has doubled (total gross pay) and my work load is cut in half . I literally work 3-4 days a week make 100 grand a year with great benefits 3 weeks of vacation etc etc . 25 years ago right up to 5 years ago I was getting maybe 2 days off a week sometimes less and making 40 grand a year with horrible insurance if at all and no paid vacation… e logs REQUIRED companies to pay us more for less work. YPU just work for the wrong outfit
Doesn’t matter what we, the veteran driver thinks. The government will set the rules to the highest paying lobbyists. If big trucking (ie. Swift, Schneider, JB, etc…) want kids behind the wheel…. kids will be behind the wheel.
Agree with other comments; can’t drive in parking lots, cheap labor, driven by hormones….bad idea.
Not too sound racist, but how many licenses were given to to foreigners who drove trucks in THEIR countries? Lets fix that problem first, before we introduce a plethora of new problems.
EXACTLY!! Just last week I had some Freon driver at a warehouse who couldn’t even find his door running around blabbering in some language no one could understand and he couldn’t understand what they were telling him … which was just to back into door 80 😂😂
Are they crazy??? It’s bad enough that some of the new driver never really got trained right to begin with.
AS A RETIRED INFANTRY FIRSTSERGANT I HAVE HAD OVER 40 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR CHILDREN…… AND THEY ARE CHILDREN EVEN IF THEY DONT THINK SO….. THAT IS WHY SO MANY WINS UP DEAD FROM POOR CHOICES EVEN WITH TONS OF TRAINING. YOU CANT PROMOTE CHILDREN AND EXPECT TO GET ANYTHING BUT CHILDISH RESULTS. SAME GOES EVEN MORE FOR TRAINED SKILLS AS CIVILLIAN .. WITHOUT THE STRUCTURE OF A MILITARY TO ENHANCE THAT TRAINING.
IT SEEMS YOU ONLY WANT TO TAP A NEW SOURCE OF EMPLOYEES TO ADD TO YOUR “BRASERO” ALLOWANCE OF FOREGION TRUCKING
GOOD LUCK WITH THAT AMERIKA
POLDO
Thank you. You hit the nail squarely on the head.
Thank you for your service, Sarge.
If they got their non commercial drivers license at 16 years or 17 years of age through an accredited driving school and have zero tickets and accidents and go through thorough training including knowledge of the Smith System for driving and can prove their maturity I say yes to it.
Aren’t they still in school at 16 and 17 ? Like High School.
I got my class b at 16 …
The carriers are simply trying to fill empty seats with low wage drivers until automated trucks become viable.
This, if passed, will last only a short time. The work ethic of today’s 18 year olds for the most part is lacking.
The problem the mega carriers refuse to address is low wages and home time amongst many other issues driving commercially.
It’s not a life I would recommend to anyone having retired from driving myself this year.
It’s a hard way to make a living, and for what?
You lose time with your family and can never get it back. Ever.
I have a question. I have written many letters and sent emails to the FMCSA all but demanding them to go to truck stops around the country and talk to the drivers in person instead of all this letter and comments. Talk to the drivers in person and get the facts from the ones doing the job.
Question is this. Has any one seen or talked to a rep in a truck stop from the FMCSA in the last year or so? Has any one spoke on the phone to a rep at the FMCSA? Have they ever returned a call to you ? My experience is NO to all questions.
Here is a serious problem we have today. Far too many drivers bitch and moan and complain but do nothing to fix what they are bitching about. Only the drivers can fix this .
No No No
Most kids at 18 lack the ability to drive a car in a safe way. Now, they want put a child (I don’t care if they are legally an adult) behind the wheel of an 18 wheeler. I personally think most of them will be overwhelmed in a big rig and too scared or proud to admit it, when there is an accident it won’t be a fender bender, it’s going to be a tragedy for everyone involved.
If they fully trust them to drive, why keep them from haz mat, doubles tripples etc. I thought they have confidence in there driving. Hmmmm I guess not. Why not make it 16? Or maybe even 12. I’m dead against it. Don’t want my wife and kids out there on the road with someone driving a truck that there brain isn’t fully developed to make adult decisions. I been driving truck for 26 years, started at age of 21 and I think that is actually to young. I think it should be 25
A lot of you are missing the point that most states already allow 18 year olds to operate within state lines. All this does is allow them to cross state lines if they meet the criteria. There is no magical portal over a state line that makes driving more challenging. This will open up a lot of entry level local driving jobs in small border towns which need to cross state lines which may only be a 5-10 mile round trip. We operate a dozen small trucks at 1 location where the shop is in 1 state and the road is in another. Hiring CDL drivers to make small occasion in-town deliveries for the relatively low pay is very difficult. This will be great for us – and many other companies. I can absolutely see some of the mega-carriers with dollar signs in their eyes thinking of the “20 and under” rates they’ll be offering these kids.
I didn’t miss it .states hiring John Deere driver’s
This isn’t the day of pilgrimage where mom hauled the kids the water and the fire wood. Kids gotta a whoopin then for out of line or looking out of line. It was called survival. Today kids are still kids even if they do have a ready made family. I’m sure they can work with luck..And there are the exceptional ones that do want responsibility. Perhaps the ones who don’t should stick with fork lifts and pallet jacks. We truckers who are responsible not even treated fairly by companies or four wheelers. Some kid comes along drives like their on a race way slams on the brakes just enough to stop directly behind a vehicle. While the four wheeler prays for mercy not to be hit by an 18 wheeler. Just because there’s an 18 before the wheeler doesn’t mean it stands for 18 year old must apply.
Maybe you should pay more … just because you’re a scum sucker who doesn’t pay enough to attract competent help doesn’t mean the rest of us should be getting run over by children driving weapons
Are you out of your crazy Flippin mind they can barely drive a car and you want them in an 18 wheeler with 80,000 maybe plus pounds you better think first because the first time there’s an accident the federal governments going to get sued
That used to be our Hammer Lane. It’s taken over by youngsters. Seriously, how many driver’s have been hit by 4 wheelers crossing lanes. The family sues the driver and company. That’s messed up. And we can’t pull over anymore and park to sleep. So does this mean if the 18 year old gets hit in a semi he can’t be wronged like us even though we weren’t at fault. Because he’s under 21 years old? A minor to many states and laws.
🤣
I left a message already just look for it but you guys are crazy and I really don’t want to coming out of my taxpayers money for your stupidity
We the drivers are having enough trouble making our way across borders. Out of time. Does this have anything with antifa rehabilitation?
These companies that are willing to hire the Children of the Corn. Must be getting a lump sum of cash from the government to do so. A promotional deal. Young people wearing Old People Don’t Matter Shirts.
The problem I see isn’t with the kids who genuinely want to get into it because they have a passion for it. The problem I see is with those who are just looking for a paycheck. The problem I see is with the mindset of many of today’s youths, like those participating in the protests and riots. The problem I see is with the children of these folks driving the interstates like they’re competing for worst reckless driver of the year. …..teaching their kids this behavior directly or indirectly.
Fueled by only self interest, heated with youthful passions, and wearing the typical teens’ chip on the shoulder attitude,
…..is this what we want driving an 80,000 lb bullet down the road amongst people?
In the military, they are trained to kill people and break things.
Very mad idea I would not want my kids at that age To be driving a 80,000 pound machine on the road it’s bad enough at 18 or 17 they don’t know how to drive a car experience come with time I have been driving a car for 47 years and now getting into driving a tractor trailer and I am amazed at how mouch I need to learn. It’s not just about turning a steering wheel that make you a driver, this is only gonna create more death on the road without experience the knowledge to control a car how you gonna put them in a tractor trailer, it’s gonna be Suicide on Steroid.
When AMA gets this thru they will start to push for 17 year olds to drive CDL. Then 16 year olds.
I say let them have it. I know when i was 18 I couldn’t handle a kick ball never mind a semi. Im sure there are some mature 18 year olds out there but the both of them are going to college.
If we the adults old enough and with some experience on the road are having problems to control certain situations now imagine 18, 19, 20 yrs old drivers, what can they do if not some crazy ideas, I won’t say all of them but the majority will have some not so ideal way of solving a problem, specially nowadays that guys that age are trying to compete on the road, and with a big rig, not so good idea, so the answer is A BIG NO.
NO GO. They are not focus enough. They will get bored and there focus will turn to texting or the radio or on the phone. They will become over confident to soon and that’s when accidents happen. Let them start local for 3 years. AND IF 0 PROBLEMS. Then put them out there.
Can hardly wait I’ll train them in the winter. All that rain sleet snow and ICE. My rule is just make sure they don’t grab the passenger door handle thinking they can escape. It’ll be fun. They’ll learn alot. I’ve been out on the road almost 40 years. They’ll love it.
19- 20 year olds is not a good idea to hqve Operatoring a CVM
Good luck finding 18 year olds that are interested in being away from home for weeks driving trucks for dirt cheap money. When I was 18 I had one thing on my mind, it rhymed with trucking .
Yep
all have to start somewhere, unless they existed from the beginning of time..unfortunately, insurance companies control trucker companies..most don’t budge from two years verifiable experience to be hired, which seems anti-american,..how on earth did the recruiters start off..how do they feel telling some eager driver to go take a hike just because he/she wants to work and has the license….the whole scene is sad..why go to CDL school ?..And by the way I know many instructors who could drive the pants off all of you who complain and whine..just be thankful you got jobs and shove the stupid stuff. Or go work for an insurance company..
Don’t let them do it until they sort out the trucking industry -low pay, hardship, hostile work environments, criminal employers – why would anyone want to do this job? For 18 years old it would be life of hell.
Next thing will be minimum wage. I’m not missing the point. Point is that an 18 year old kid shouldn’t be driving an 80000lb truck period, let alone across country. Bring the wages down and insurance up. Put an 18 year old under the wheel for 14 hours a day. They can’t stay focused for 14 minutes a day
18 year olds can’t even drive a car without being morons. Now 80,000 pound trucks?
That sounds like a sure way to get a few unnecessary fatalities.
Not only because they’re young and make foolish decisions. But because they’re impressionable and will do whatever dispatchers ask.
And I am quite certain they’ll be willing to please that dispatch. Maybe they should get into body and fender work
It’s probably sponsored and lobbied by some “self driving” firm that predicted that any serious rollout of their current tech would rack up a significant body count… which means that, to survive in the court of public opinion, they NEED human truckers to make some truly spectacular and newsworthy mass graves. Asap.
In addition..I am a military veteran with over 28 years service..If they told me or anyone else when we enlisted that we punks needed two years experience to get in, this country would be sucking the thumbs of some other “country”., and you know what I mean….trucking companies, insurance companies–you all are wrong..Get your acts together or face the shortage and suffer the squeeze consequences–your own doing..Start hiring fairly and without discrimination or face the music you see in these comments..
“They also will be required to drive trucks that have active braking collision mitigation systems, forward-facing cameras, and a speed limited set to no higher than 65 mph.”………………….The same garbage the greedy ATA wants to impose on all of us. This is just a way to condition the sheep.
Does this mean they can’t watch themselves drive in the fender mirrors?
There are Too many drivers out here now. Go by ANY fuel stop after 3 PM and the parking lot is FULL. Why, because there are TOO many trucks looking for a shrinking load count, asmore and more loads go by rail
Well you give one to all the rag heads and Mexicans that Can’t read English much less a road sign So what the heck
I started driving my dad’s trucks in the yard when I was 11 or 12. Igot my driver’s license at 16 and was driving trucks in Pennsylvania the next day. There are some who could drive over-the-road at 18, but not a good idea for most. Training is the key! A lot of companies might look good on paper but what about reality? If training programs are put in place, the documentation must be there. Companies caught falsifying documents would forfeit all drivers under 21 AND be fined just short of bankruptcy!!!!
I see them being sleep deprived, home sick, making mistakes causing damage and getting fmcsa violations before they get a real feel for the job. They’ll be out of a job in short order. And ruin any chance of coming back to trucking down the line. FMCSA has no forgiveness. They’ll screw everyone out of there jobs. Glad they weren’t around when I started at 18. Speeding tickets, over ran my log book, overhead strikes and falling asleep behind the wheel because I was being pushed to go harder. Somehow I’m still here and I guess I’m a better driver now. Still not making enough. Sure go ahead and screw up some kids life. Maybe then they’ll find a better living.
Being away from your spouse and children for an extended period of time is not a suitable career for anyone especially young adults. It puts a strain on relationships for people who are just starting to live life. If these teenagers were smart they should go to college or choose a career where they can be home with their loved ones.
Some of you people are out of touch with reality.
You can already drive Intrastate 18 – 20. Like it matters if you drive over an imaginary line. In the 80,000 lb truck your already driving.
I worked with a trainer for 2 weeks when I got my first driving job. Albeit I was 32 when I started gracing the roads with my presence. I never had prior experience. I just kept the door shut and watched those mirrors. Although, I have to admit, being The Chosen One helped a little.
Most companies now a days have at least a dashcam, some form of eld and most trucks are governed between 62 – 75 mph. I started at May Trucking Co. I had plenty of miles, made ok money, tuition reimbursement and milage bonuses almost the whole time I was there. The truck went 62 mph. Eld’s were new, and we ran them as a test program at the time along side paper log books. I could probably do without the active braking and I’m not a fan of automatic trucks. As I’m local and I got one of those jobs where I have more miles in reverse than most of you guys and gals have going forward. I require the control of a manual. However, automatic trucks do offer less wear and tear on your body.
I’d say, with a proper training program, and 6 months to a year experience, 18 – 20 year olds would probably be a fine addition sitting in truck stop parking lots everywhere.
For the safety of the general public we don’t need any more drivers that do not know how to drive. Those that are making these decisions are not driving on the open road. Since 2002 it has really gotten bad. To many so called driver’s that don’t give a damm with their texting and watching a movie. I have seen it and had to take evasive moves to save my neck. Let’s improve what we have out there now.
This is not a job for kids. With drivers 21 and older as a requirement, the industry has already many, driving those rigs, as if they were 4 wheelers, total irresponsability. Reacting like insane dudes, following too close, not using turn signals (70-80% 4-wheelers don’t use them), trying to cut and pass from the right lane the truck in the left that’s in the middle of his passing move (just like who?), returning to the right lane cutting cars and trucks don’t matter (the signs in GA state “Leave ___ Space” should be installed nation wide).
Our society is not set up to be mature at 18, by the contrary, as a nation, through liberal policies and general public approval we’re extending irresponsability, therefore immaturity, beyond 18, 21, 30’s 40’s?
This ‘reduction’ of the minimun age is a blatant attempt of ‘corporate controlling government’, to reduce resistance, of an industry they need to manipulate even more for profits.
Will we see the day they’ll put immature ‘space ship drivers’ in round trips to Mars?
Or, we can keep just looking the other way..
Maybe as a pre-qualification for the younger folks, companies should watch them with a hidden camera as they sit for six hours at a time doing computer driving tests / courses. They could weed out the ones that could not set the phone down or that fall asleep during that time. This would choose only those qualified to pay attention to the task at hand…Safe Driving
My kids were on a race track by 10 and driving semis around our yard when 12. BUT: there is NO WAY I would have them driving a rig or B train at 18, or even 20.
The driving schools are greedy and stupid as the Government is. Its about money the god they all worship. Safety, yeah right
Screw that.
RAISE the minimum to 30. And strip under-18’s of all classes of driving privileges, licenses, and permits too.
18 and 21 year olds are both children these days.
Heck most 18 to 20 year old kids can’t even drive their regular car right and you want to put them behind the wheel if a bug truck pulling almost 80 thousand pounds if freight. Especially HazMat. You’ve lost your friggin mind.
I’m pushing 50 now and I know what I was like in my late teens and early 20s and I believe the FMCSA is wrong in their belief this will aid anything. You want proof, go to any truck stop, rest area or highway and watch those in their mid to late 20s. I’ve seen more than my fare share of near misses by younger drivers who roll through parking lots at speeds where they wouldn’t be able to stop if someone walked between parked rigs. Passing the slower moving rigs who are actively watching for hazards then flipping them off for having slowed down in their path.
Although, I wouldn’t have a problem seeing a lawyer add the FMCSA to any and all of their lawsuits for such a giant mistake in judgment. A 20 year old driver gets into a collision where speed and inexperience was a factor. Sue the FMCSA as primary, can’t blame the company who hired, as they wouldn’t have been able to do so at all if not for FMCSA changing the rules.
With 18 year old drivers it will be a cell phone issue. They can’t leave it alone. There’s enough of that out there now don’t you think.
Letting the Carriers train and Certify them ??? Yeah right. Their trainers cant even drive. I started in an OTR semi at 16. Became legal at 18 but could only drive local for insurance purposes. Thats another thing, your premiums will subsidize their risk. I sucked it up and waited til 21 to get a regional haul. The world and roads are a lot different today then when us old farts started. For one, to physically drive a modern truck takes way less skill. Roads are packed with morons, people are less social and friendly, theres a me me me attitude. Bottom line is cheap labor and AI integration. Technology is gonna kill us all.
Looking for ways to improve the industry is always a welcome service from a federal agency. You can train young adults to drive, yet the maturity to make good decisions may not be well developed yet. The best thing FMCSA can do for this group is to assign a mentor for more than just a couple weeks. Be objective in your pilot program and publish the results.
I personally think it’s too young. Law is or was 21 when I got my first chauffeurs licence at 21 and remember what it felt like, I am a very responsible person but still had some crazy left. Can only imagine what 18 is like now, because most kids “learned” to drive on a video game, no driver ed, parents texting their way down the road, they can’t pay attention to a complete sentence let alone 500 miles of mountains and snow. Please, it’s tough enough already.
I can smell the fear pouring hate and nonsense here. If an 18yo is mature enough to go across the globe and kill another human in the name of freedom and democracy, sure can drive a commercial vehicle. What is funny is the reaction is only calling them immature because the racial or immigrant card is out of question here.
Good. More millennial, spoiled, undisciplined, self serving, hateful socialist brats to get behind the wheel of a semi. This is the future of our Republic. We’re doomed.
I think that should only happen if they put something on there where they cant use it while they drive
18 year old do not have the experience behind the wheel of a car to put them in a big truck even if they can drive I don’t know if they are really mature enough to put them in a 80000 pound death trap I don’t want my 18 year old in one to get killed do to lack of knowledge and maturity
The Army thought My 18 yr old nephew was mature enough to learn to fly a helicopter for them.
His astigmatism in one eye knocked him out of the program though
If 18 ur olds are considered mature enough to vote and fight in Vietnam and endless useless pointless middle eastern wars, They Should be considered mature Enough to drive a big truck.
And I agree with the others, an 18 yr old native can’t be any more hazardous than an older immigrant who can’t read or speak English , you know, the language on all the road signs and stuff…..
Perhaps the military age And voting age should be raised to 21
And no insurance company is going to cover anyone under 21 in a big truck.
When my nephew wanted to get into trucking and I wasn’t able to talk him out of it. I at least encouraged him to find a job that couldn’t be done by driverless robo-trucks and couldn’t be done by immigrants, since they drive the wages down.
A recruiter visited his CDL school, a state run vo tech community college, (the best schools BTW, far better than the private ones or the fake ones at the mega carriers)
Recruiting for a company that hauled oversize overweight secure loads.
The shipper and owner of the cargo has to investigate and approve each driver, and requires the drivers be native born US citizens, with excellent credit and driving history, and zero criminal record.
Of the 27 in his course only 3 qualified for the company and 2 of them didn’t want to go to the effort of filling out the 200 page background investigation application, and waiting 6 weeks for the results.
My nephew was the only one that Filled out the app, he was only 20 at the time but the company hired him since they have a 9 MONTH training program.
He turned 21 earlier this year and his average pay is 79 cents a mile.