The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) wants public comment on a pilot program allowing drivers ages 18-20 to haul interstate commercial freight.
Most states and the District of Columbia already allow 18- to 20-year-old commercial driver’s license holders to operate trucks within the state.
“This action will allow the Agency to carefully examine the safety, feasibility and possible economic benefits of allowing 18- to 20-year-old drivers to operate in interstate commerce,” said FMCSA Deputy Administrator Wiley Deck in announcing the proposed pilot project Friday. “Safety is always FMCSA’s top priority, so we encourage drivers, motor carriers and interested citizens to review this proposed new pilot program and share their thoughts and opinions.”
The proposed program allows drivers falling within one of two categories to participate:
- Eighteen- to 20-year-old CDL holders who operate a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) in interstate commerce while taking part in a 120-hour probationary period and a subsequent 280-hour probationary period under an apprenticeship program established by an employer, or
- Nineteen- and 20-year-old commercial drivers who have operated CMVs in intrastate commerce for a minimum of one year and 25,000 miles.
Participating drivers would not be allowed to operate vehicles hauling passengers or hazardous materials or special configuration vehicles, according to the proposal. The test program would last up to three years.
Details of the proposed program can be found here.
Gregory Boyd
yes I have a comment, how about NO.
Alan Truex
Unbelievable 18 years old in today standards is by far not mature enough to drive a big truck down the road at 80,000 pounds they have no work ethic no responsibility no common sense . Let them keep driving intra-state making local deliveries that’s if they can find a company it will hire them due to insurance reasons. There are a few 18 year olds that can do the job and do the job well. Most likely one out of a hundred thousand. I was raised on a ranch and was moving semi trucks around the ranch at 16 when I turn 18 in 1993 my dad let me go down and get my CDL and haul cattle to the to the sale barn 15 miles one way round trip 30 I did this three times a week. But being 18 in 1993 or before that is not the same as an 18 year old today once again no work ethic no common sense no respect. This is an absolute absurd idea. Oh yeah there is no driver shortage in this industry there’s only a shortage of a respectable employer to work for that will actually pay you for the work you actually do and give the driver the respect that they deserve. Time spent getting the job done compared to the pay that the driver gets is far far below minimum wage for a company driver .This is why I have been an owner operator for 18 years.
James Addie
I will make this real easy for all to see. You board a plane sit down and the pilot says good morning in a voice that you know he is a teenager. Feel safe????
Robert Nasdeo
This is not the way to fix the industry, you can’t stop owner operators , the problem lies with the operators who have no respect for the drivers on the road now. This has become a selfish business
Larry R Mcbride
I think this 18-20 program is a huge mistake. The government cant trust those ages to buy ciggerettes and alcohol, but want to give them the responsibility of 80,000- 120,000 lbs tp control and move around bad 4 wheeler drivers. I think we have enough inept big rig drivers out there now. Making it harder on us experienced drivers to be safe. I say start a pilot program that teaches kids in drivers ed how to drive a semi and how to drive around us.
Kyle j McKee
I would like to address the recent proposal that FMCSA is conducting to let drivers who are 18 years of age drive a CMV “interstate”. First, let me start by saying this is the wrong direction for this industry. The trucking industry as we know it today is a broken, mismanaged, unorganized and disorganized industry, that utilizes underperforming carriers with no “real world” desire to effectively train employees to drive these behemoths of vehicles. Second, the majority of carriers have poor, inefficient, effective training programs to teach or to continue to train drivers. Carriers are private sector businesses with thier “bottom line” in mind more than training or continued fundamentals of training to drive tractor trailers. The organizations that want to spearhead this proposal are the same carriers and organizations that cry of a “driver shortage” when in reality there is none. The organizations and carriers of dramaticly inflated the numbers because these organizations want ridiculous proposals such as these to pass. Arguments regarding this subject are as ridiculous as the proposals themselves. There is no concrete empirical data that states that the US will loose hundreds of thousands of drivers due to retirement. These “inflated numbers” come from drivers “job hopping” from one carrier to another due to low driver pay, inadequate driver pay, inadequate driver health, dental, and vision benefits as well as the lies and mistrust these carriers recruiters tell prospective drivers, just so they themselves can get a bonus at the end of every month. To fix this industry, is to assimilate this whole entire industry into the federal government. Have the federal government under the guise of the DOT take control, close every single driving school, have a US tractor trailer driver training program consisting of a 6 month training program. Have the employee become a federal employee with federal benefits and be union based. No more owner operators (which count for the majority of the problems on the road). Institute an aggressive 1 year student to professional driver training program that tracks the students development. Provide a federal yearly wage, federal government benefits, 401k and a retirement. That’s how you fix this industry
James Addie
No more owner operators cause we are the problem you have no idea of what you speak.
Kyle j McKee
Owner operators are the problem, why do I say this. Owner operators are the ones that “skirt the law”, run illegal, run with equipment that shouldn’t even be on the road. Owner operators for example once a ” blitz” is advertised will purposely shut down until that blitz is over so they will not get fined or shut down or both. Owner operators are the ones that bypass scales, will go around HOS to run longer. Company drivers cannot get around HOS, they are tracked, and the truck they drive is not theirs so the company they drive for has a vested interest in keeping that truck in compliance. Company drivers aren’t going around scale houses, running heavy (the majority of them) violating HOS. Oh, and the trucks don’t look like a POS because again the majority of owner operators shouldn’t even be owner operators because they have no business sense. Their trucks are falling apart, they are running illegal, the compliance of the owner operators with regards to DOT is laughable.
Derek Fulks
You must be mad to think giving the government all the power over the trucking industry is the answer. The coordinator of the fmcsa already has a big head and so does the government. There’s no need to make that head bigger. We just need one type of way to train drivers that is made law not a union. Unions take drivers connection away from their companies and their freedom which the government does enough of that. You must be either a democrat or just completely oblivious to what’s going on in this country already and the last 10 years.
Kyle j McKee
Unions take drivers connection away from their companies and their freedom which the government does enough of that. Now that’s funny😂. UPS and FedEx for many years have been union based. They provide a very good “hourly wage” very good heath, dental and vision plans as well. All this thanks to arbitration and union intervention during contract negotiations. Also their retirement plan is one of the best. Tell me what contract company on existence today has the same type of job benefits that these two companies have for thier tractor trailer drivers. None.
Jeff Vogt
This under 21 program is the most absurd idea I’ve ever read. Whom ever thought of this idea must be an insurance agent looking to increase their commissions. Which is going to cost the companies more money and the public more lives. A 21 year old is barely mature enough to drive a big rig especially in major metropolitan areas.
Why doesn’t the FEDS do something about how we are considered non skilled labor by the dept.of labor and as professionals by the dept of justice. How can an non skilled laborer afford the expensive protection they need in a court room on a common laborers wages.
Ive been driving 36 years, and just like a doctor or lawyer I learn something new everyday. That’s why it’s called a practice. You would not let an 19 year old represent one in a courtroom or a 20 year old in an operating room. This is not made for tv drama. This is real life and it’s real heavy and takes 14 hours a day to get it done. Today’s youth can’t fathom working 8 much less 14.
Please reconsider starting this program , if anyone dies because of this short sidedness,the blood of innocence people is on your hands.
Dan Welsh
I Think Things should remain as they are,22 is a good age for Interstate commerce.These 18 to 21 year olds today have no work ethic, are lazy and selfish, and I guarantee will drive an 18 wheeler with the same bad habits as a four wheeler!!!
jarrod spivey
Not long ago they were eating tide pods…. yeah this is a great idea.