It really depends on the kid, and how disciplined, smart, and hard working they are. I live in a college town full of 17yo+ kids and have zero faith in 95% of these kids to do anything right. They completely lack common sense, basic skills, and are kind of lazy. We had a guy at my company that was 21ish and anytime the truck wasn't moving he was off sleeping around with different girls and never put much effort into anything else pertaining to his job. My friend worked with a kid who would run red lights and honk going through them saying he felt like a train engineer. I'm 24 and cant get along with most of them because of these reasons, its also why I'm still single. I've also worked doing something since I was 13 which could be another reason why they get on my nerves.
Generally speaking, I think 21 is too young to drive a truck. They are too brash, too impulsive, to impatient, and too immature. But, I do know of one person that I would trust behind the wheel at that age. My nephew, Matthew. So there are exceptions to every rule. Mat is not a trucker, but he has the correct mind set to be one if he chose to do it. Myself at that age... well, I would have been a dangerous outlaw.
WOOOOOW, I CAN FINALLY BE HIRED BY SWIFT! ...and make half of what I make now. Go to hell Swift. Go to hell.
What? I was ungoverned. You never saw me in the news. My record is clean and so is my credit. Just because I have a baby face doesn't mean I'm a fck up. There's plenty of young guys that did their research and know exactly where the money is at. I went to the CDL mill with other guys my age. I was the youngest at 21, the rest were 22-23. It's been two years and I still talk to a couple of them. Most of them bit the dust and went back to their old jobs. One of them is making pretty good money with a step deck and just got his own rig. Go and tell that guy he needs to wait until Swift gives him a chance. Give me a break. On the other hand, I think some people are way too old to be driving a 40 ton vehicle. Like the guy I usually do my meet with, god bless his heart he's an honest hard working man but he can barely see at night and has beginnings of Parkinson's. I guess he just wants to keep doing what he loves. At least they gave him the earliest run out of Georgia so he can get plenty of daylight.
Some of us in our 20's can drive. Hell when I was 21 I did my first oversize with 4mo experience 10'2" wide 13'6" tall 3 axle lowboy. I had a 35ton grove crane on my back.
I could not picture my know it all 'expert' 21 yr old nephew in a truck who like all 21 yr olds, have a lot of growing up to do
