ATA Looks To Lower Minimum Driver Age To 18

Maybe, just maybe, they don't wanna go to college, and waste money on a degree, ending up thousands in debt, to graduate and find there aren't any jobs in their field....

Believe it or not, there's some who WANT to drive for a living. So why make them wait?

 

When I was 18 I thought no way I'd ever be a truck driver. I got my CDL at 21 and am ready to give it up after nearly 3 years to go back to school.

 

While that sounds good in theory, I've found people today, especially young people, want instant gratification, and 4 years would be an eternity to them. If they aren't earning maximum potential in a few months, they get frustrated and move on. Very few think of the long haul, and want it now.

 

Well it may just happen. Whether it's a good idea remains to be seen.
I'm sure the special interests and aggressive lobbying is probably going on as I write.
And we know that the Govt will cower/cater to such pressure. I mean forget about safety. What's that got to do with anything ?
But let's all remember that as I recall, isn't it the ATA that's " convinced" the Govt that speed limiters are a great idea.
Therefore I'm no friend of this lot.
Dropping the age limit is only to suit them, nobody else.

 

ANYTHING the poorly named "ATA" is for; I'm against. Why? Because it is the lobbying arm of a very few, very large corporations. It does not begin to represent true American Trucking.

Having said that; I got my CDL at 18....before it was a "CDL". I drove in-state; I think a lot of us did in that era. In our current video game generation........not sure how many even WANT to. Insurance would be an issue...........oh hey; except for those few very large carriers I mentioned earlier......that are self-insured. See a pattern here?? I say leave it alone. Driving intrastate is fine for 3 years. Screw the ATA's wishes.

 

Maybe, just maybe when they go to CDL school and then stop by here crying us a river of crocodile tears on how tough trucking really is, (like some have posted here in the past), and drop out of trucking, would they have spent less time and money getting a CDL license over a college degree, which will take them further in life?

 

And there ya go, someone that got a CDL at a young age, has "seen the light" of trucking for all it's worth and wants better, thank you!

Well given that even older drivers, at the truck stops, "hit and run", let us know how you feel after X number of 18 years olds destroy your rig.

Yes, ok, at the average age of 16 for a first license, puts them at 20/21 depending on date of birth, right in line for a CDL AT 21~~!!!~~

 

Ask the question?
What has changed?..For years and years the DOT has said 21 was minimum to have a cdl driver truck interstates.
Could it be a driver shortage or the ATA is siding with big companies again to drive down wages?

I always find it so ironic when companies or society or .Governments change opinions about good/bad decisions based on need and not for the good of the people?..lotteries are a good example of something being illegal but as long as a .Gov can reap HUGE amounts of money from it then its decided that it is no longer a detriment to societies underclass?..or legalizing drugs for tax $$ revenues is another good example..

So now all of a sudden the ATA says 18 year olds are mature enough to travel cross country w freight?
Ok..so now our 18 year olds have matured so much from previous generations?..I don't think so,if anything they are less inclined to mature early,previous generation married at 14-15-16 and had responsibilities at a much much younger age than they do now..
but this generation is SO much more ready at a younger age?..i doubt it..

 

Ah , let's leave things as they are, be totally oblivious to the reality that when the rest of us get too old to drive, we'll depend on the younger ones to bring us toilet paper. Never mind they can't drive because we've made it impossible for them to learn how to drive properly. As long as we can sit in a nursing home and reminisce about how great we were and our toilet paper supply don't run out, we'll be ok.

 

Driver, there is always Depends!