A bloc of U.S. Senators recently sent a letter urging the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to promptly take measures that would allow adults 18-20 years old to haul freight across state lines.
Led by Iowa Sens. Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley, another nine Republicans backed the plan many believe would help alleviate the bottlenecks and shortages plaguing the supply chains. The FMCSA allows qualified CDL holders 21 years and older to operate commercial motor vehicles engaged in interstate trucking. In recent years, several measures have been introduced to lower the age as the shortage of interstate drivers increases.
During the Trump Administration, pilot programs were launched designed to attract younger drivers and prevent logistical disruptions. The recently passed $1 trillion infrastructure package reportedly has a version of the Safe DRIVER Act that would integrate 18- to 20-year-olds in the workforce. But with more than 100 cargo ships unable to offload at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the group of 11 senators wants relief now.
“With these concerns in mind, we urge the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to allow persons 18 years of age and older to obtain a commercial driver’s license (CDL) and operate commercial motor vehicles in interstate commerce to get American goods and services moving again. Under current law, a 20 year old trucker could drive 363 miles in Iowa from Sioux City to Davenport, but that same driver could not drive five miles into Moline, Illinois,” the letter to FMCSA Deputy Administrator Meera Joshi reportedly states. “Our nation’s commerce hinges on interstate trucking, but the age of entry for this profession blocks the youngest members of our workforce from the career field. In their 2021 report to Congress, the U.S. Department of Transportation estimated the average age of a commercial truck driver is 48 years old, six years older than the national workforce average.”
Other Senators joining Ernst and Grassley included Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), and Steve Daines (R-Mont.). The need to remove impediments and develop a persistent thriving truck driver workforce does not appear to be a partisan issue.
In the U.S. House of Representatives, upwards of 80 members of Congress urged Department of Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg to proactively move an FMCSA Under-21 Commercial Driver Pilot Program forward. This measure was reportedly part of the early infrastructure deal that gained support in August. While Congress wrangles through the fine details and legislative reconciliation process, both sides of the aisle and the White House have wide-reaching authority to agree and expedite the under-21 rules changes.
Source: whattatruck.com
This is a good way to teach young people responsibility, as long as they have a good trainer with them. So many young people commiting crimes because they have the wrong influence on the local level. Something needs to be done, another need is enforce the death penalty on all gang and organized crime members, time to send them back to there maker, maybe the young won’t want to follow that way any more.
I don’t know why they keep beating this horse. I don’t feel they’re responsible enough a that age. I know I wasn’t. Fix the problems and we won’t have a so called driver shortage.
I hear over and over how 18 year olds can be responsible enough to carry a rifle and die for their country, but can’t drive commercially.
But this is apples and oranges. Those that enter the military go thru rigorous training, are given all the right tools needed and a management group (non coms, officers) that guide them every inch of the way.
The ‘best’ training companies are not motivated to make their drivers successful, they are profit seeking entities that use the money paid by the government for personal gain. As well, since the industry insists on paying slave labor wages to most drivers and even less to new drivers, there is the constant swinging door…in with the new, out with the disillusioned.
When I began driving, you had to have a relative or close friend that vouched for you to be hired. It was almost like boot camp as you learned, trained and became a driver. (not nearly as rough, I’ll admit!). But you were paid decent wages. In today’s dollars, I earned (as a company driver) the equivalent of $50,000 plus benefits (insurance, vacation, pension) my first year. I was home 2 nights minimum every 10-14 days.
New drivers for a ‘training company’, no matter what they’re promised, will be out on the road 4-6 weeks at a time with about 5 (unpaid) nights hometime afterward. They earn about $35,000 their first year and have virtually no benefits. They have plenty of time to consider all the promises that have been broken, are treated as ‘meat in the seat’ and receive very little encouragement.
The problem isn’t a lack of drivers. The problem is a lack of drivers that are willing to work for slave wages. If new drivers could earn 50 cents/mile to start and experienced drivers earned 80 cpm, you would virtually instantly have an abundance of drivers.
I started in this industry in the late 60’s and am retired now. I’ve worked every facet of the business: driver, owner-operator, dispatch/planning and company owner. I’ve watched it go down hill since the industry was ‘deregulated’ for ‘our’ benefit.
So lets not fix the problem, lets hire kids that $35,000/yr sounds great, send them out there and hope some will stick.
Think I’m wrong? Consider this all you who served in the military: What were you like before entering boot camp, verses heading for AIT or whatever secondary training you received? If you’re honest, you KNOW you were a snot nosed kid that learned more in the next 13 weeks than probably any 13 week period since. But you also learned that not only did someone always have your back, you covered someone else back.
The secret to the driver shortage begins with good training and decent pay. The secret to keeping drivers is good backing and good pay.
(stepping off my soapbox now)
What Max said.
Agree 100%, and I personally believe they wont last long in this industry. Training is not as solid, work is long and hard, also I feel, WAY TO YOUNG, they need to start with short box truck and work thier way up to the rig. Climb the ladder and earn your right to drive the big rig, period.
Well said.
It’s all about wasted time at shippers …
Not a shortage of drivers
Max is correct.
Truck drivers aren’t the problem, there’s enough of us right now, the problem is not enough people to unload the product from the ships that are sitting offshore in the ports. And as for the 18 yr old age limit that’s a very dumb idea!
I agree with all that was said but they do have to start somewhere . I mean that if they drive intrastate why should there be a problem with interstate . The other thing is start them in a straight truck and advance them to trailers