According to the American Trucking Association, the trucking industry will need to recruit 100,000 new drivers every year in order to meet freight demands for the next decade. Congress has recently proposed a solution in order to help meet the new driver requirements.
Currently, an 18-year-old commercial driver’s license holders can only drive within the state in which they received their license. In order to cross state boundaries while operating a commercial vehicle, drivers must be at least 21 years of age.
A bill proposed by congress, and backed by the ATA, will reduce the legal age for interstate driving from 21 to 18.
The legislation was initially proposed by republican senator Deb Fischer of Nebraska, and gained enough support to be incorporated into a much larger transportation bill.
Under the new rules, interstate drivers under the age of 21 would still have certain restrictions. They would be prohibited from hauling hazardous materials or transporting oversize loads.
The bill is not without it’s opposition, however. Jackie Gillan of the Advocate for Highway and Auto Safety said, “The combination of inexperience, high-risk driving and large trucks can cause unbelievable devastation.”
A similar bill was proposed by the Bush administration, but was ultimately shot down after facing intense scrutiny.
While many truckers started driving in their teenage years (and earlier) back in the “good old days”, things are have changed dramatically over the last few decades. Do you support a bill to reduce the age for interstate drivers, or is this a “catastrophe waiting to happen?”
