16 and 17 year olds attending a truck driver training course at Patterson High School in California

I’d rather have these young kids assuming they get properly trained than those maniac foreigners from Chicagoland

 

nope, not for it at all.

and that debate, "well they join the service and go off to war", doesn't cut it with me either.

 

Nothing wrong with trade schools. They are learning to be blue collar workers. Really the only issue was the narrative that they were trying to push. Like these schools are trying to fix the shortage.

 

"on average" trade schools do not teach youth to pilot an 80,000 lb missile

they teach them cabinet making, auto mechanics, HVAC, plumbing.

you know, jobs that pay really BETTER than trucking?

 

I find it funny. That people are complaining that an 18 year old should not be able to drive interstate. Just intrastate. Considering they can drive just as many miles in CA and TX. Without crossing into another state. But a driver up in the NE. Will have gone through 2 or 3 states.

If you're worried about them being green. Maybe limit them to local home nightly. Instead of using intrastate.

 

Most states already have companies that hire 18 yr. old cdl drivers.
As the article states, they cannot cross the state line.

 

I support it. Canucks can pretty much run coast to coast in Canada at age 19. A lot of provinces you can get licensed at 18. Been that way for years.

Biggest thing I believe would be weeding out the immature ones or the folks who just want to take a 2 week course and go trucking through the mountains. Looking at the quality of what I see on the roads these days there are just as many idiots over 21 as there 21 and under.

 

Another scam by the ATA to flood the market with drivers so they can pay 15 cpm. The, "driver shortage" doesn't exist! Politicians and the media are eager to jump in and push the narrative because they think it will help garner public support for their pet projects. For the politicians it also lets them avoid blame for their policies that are contributing to the supply chain disruptions. Whether it's CNN claiming Trump's tariffs on China are the problem or the occupying force blaming the unvaccinated no one is talking about the actual problems, nor proposing anything that will help. Hear anything about California relaxing their CAFE standards so more trucks can get in the ports? Hear anything about the vaccine mandate forcing employers to fire good employees during a labor shortage? Wonder why.

 

I support it. We seem to be living in a country that age has very little to do with maturity. I’ve been working full time since I was 14. Hasn’t hurt me at all.