ATA Looks To Lower Minimum Driver Age To 18

Who's gonna deliver them? Last I checked, the Depends fairy doesn't work like the tooth fairy!

 

Neuroscience tells us the human brain is not fully developed until about the age of 25. Behavioral psychologists tell us this is one reason people younger than that show poorer judgment and are far more prone to risky behavior.

I take the controversial and often unpopular view that public policy should be informed by facts.

 

My stepson is 17 year old right now that has had a intrest in trucking. Would I want to be on the road with him driving a 80000lbs truck? Definate NO. The teens today think that everything should be given to them, he has no responsability cause he was brought up from day 1 being given whatever he wants and that is the trend for his age group and is only getting worse.

 

Its all the more starry eyed pimply faced kids the megas will be able to rope in to there lease deals.

 

I started driving trucks at 18. I never went to driving school, they didn't exist. Most who started driving at the time I did, grew up on farms or around trucks and other types of equipment. It was a different time. There were others that I recall who started at that age. I have mixed feelings about whether to allow them to drive otr. However, if we are going to allow 18 year olds to drive intrastate, I don't see much difference in allowing them to be otr. I still don't trust that the ATA is in favor of it. If that is the case, I would probably be against it. I have not seen anything in recent years that the ATA is for that is in my best interests or that of 90% of this industry.

 

Sounds like the mega carriers are aching for more drivers, young, foreign, and/or criminal... pumping lobbyists into government so that they can hire on more temps at lower wages. Kind of gets me heated... my instructors was telling me he made $50,000+ in the 80s. 30 years later... we're lucky to make that today... to cover a gallon of diesel is 3 x the price as it was in the 80s.

Anyways, mega carriers will probably have to fork out a good amount of dough to persuade insurance companies to insure their 18 year olds OTR... which I bet you will lower the wages across the board for drivers young and old.... which will probably create more shortage... and then they're going to wonder why... and will probably try to fix the problem by lowering the wages even more haha.

Edit: If they do allow 18 year olds to drive OTR, I hope they give them special treatment. None of that 3 to 6 week CDL BS schools out there. Make it a minimum of 6 months with an X amount of miles behind the wheel. I matured faster than most kids, but I agree with most of you... either keep it where its at (21) or bump it up to 25 (which insurance companies require). I'm in a 4 month training program, kind of an early bloomer, but It doesn't hurt to get a lot of practice in before getting a perfect score on the skill test.

 

I think the point is moot because it would be too expensive to insure an 18yo for OTR. Too much of the industry is controlled by insurance companies.

 

Imagine what the insurance premiums would be for an 18 year old! Megas might be willing to pay that but smaller shops probably won't (that would be my guess anyway).

EDIT: Whoops, it's already been said.. Guess that's what I get for typing before I read the WHOLE thing!

 

"The Rock" will deliver them. He did a good job as an interim tooth fairy. I just don't know what he will be dressed up in, I do not think that Depends has any special color or fairy outfit?

 

I can say this about insurance, regarding those UNDER the age of 25 and in MY state regarding CAR insurance.

If my sis and her hubby were to include their 24 y/o daughter, thier premiums would spike up to an additional $1,000 per 6 months.

Now, I was helping her car shop, and insurance shop. A good used car, mind you over 10 years old (from what she can afford) will cost her a whopping $1,900 per 6 months!!!

Now, all this time driving, she has NEVER had an accident, or ticket!

So now let's take an 18 to (say) 25 y/o trucker, wanna imagine the insurance costs there?

Unless a trucking company is "self insured" there is (from my point of view) NO company out there that can afford to pay insurance on such a young person.

Someone earlier said this may all be a moot point, that the insurance companies dictate who get's hired. I do believe that in the end, just like any other ATA "proposal" this will fade off into the moon-rise.

I'd say sunset, but we have had so much snow, we ain't seen the sun in oh, 67.5 years now!