Feds will allow TEENS to drive big rigs interstate as part of learning test program
The feds will let teenagers drive transports across the country in a bid, it hopes, to ease the supply chain crisis – but the move is being rejected by critics who fear it will. does not lead to disaster.
The new apprenticeship program departs from current law – which requires truckers crossing state lines to be at least 21 years old – by allowing drivers between the ages of 18 and 20 to travel beyond their home country of origin. ‘origin.
The push to change the law comes as the industry faces an exodus of 600,000 truckers who will retire by 2028, and the Department of Transportation estimated last October that 80,000 new hires were needed this year to offset attrition and clean up a backed up supply chain.
The pilot program, detailed last week in draft regulations from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, would screen out teens and prohibit any impaired driving offenses or tickets for causing an accident.
But safety advocates say the scheme flies in the face of data showing young drivers have more crashes than older ones.
They say it’s unwise to let teenage drivers be responsible for rigs that can weigh 80,000 pounds and cause catastrophic damage when they hit lighter vehicles.
A new apprenticeship program will allow drivers between the ages of 18 and 20 to cross state lines in a bid to speed up the movement of consumer goods. Trucks are pictured at the Port of Oakland shipping terminal on November 10, 2021
Peter Kurdock, lawyer for Advocates for Highway & Auto Safety
Peter Kurdock, general counsel for Advocates for Highway & Auto Safety, said federal data shows young drivers have much higher accident rates than older ones.
“It’s no surprise to any American who drives a vehicle,” he said.
Putting them behind the wheel of trucks that can weigh up to 40 tonnes when loaded increases the risk of mass accidents, he said.
Kurdock said the trucking industry has wanted younger drivers for years and used supply chain issues to squeeze it into the infrastructure bill.
He worries the industry is using biased data from the program to pressure teen truckers nationwide.
Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the initiative would help keep freight moving in an otherwise understaffed industry.
“In some parts of the trucking industry, 90% of drivers change every year,” he said in a statement.
“Ensuring truck drivers are paid and treated fairly is the right thing to do, and it will help both recruit new drivers and keep experienced drivers on the job.”
The apprenticeship pilot program was required by Congress as part of the infrastructure bill signed into law on November 15. It requires the FMCSA, which is part of the Department of Transportation, to start the program within 60 days.
The American Trucking Associations, a major industry trade group, backs the measure as a way to address the driver shortage.
As part of the learner, young drivers can cross state lines during the 120-hour and 280-hour trial periods, as long as an experienced driver occupies the passenger seat.
Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the initiative “will both help recruit new drivers and keep experienced drivers on the job”.
Port of Los Angeles on November 16, 2021″ class=”blkBorder img-share” style=”max-width:100%” />
Trucks are pictured queuing at the Port of Los Angeles on November 16, 2021
Trucks used in the program must be equipped with electronic braking collision mitigation, a forward-facing video camera, and their speed must be limited to 65 mph.
After the probationary period, they can drive on their own, but companies must monitor their performance until they turn 21.
No more than 3,000 apprentices can participate in the training at any given time.
The FMCSA must reach out to carriers with excellent safety records to participate in the program, according to the Department of Transportation.
The program will last up to three years, and the motor carrier agency must submit a report to Congress analyzing the safety record of teenage drivers and making a recommendation on the safety of young drivers versus those 21 or older.
Congress could expand the program with new laws.
The test is part of a broader package of measures by the Biden administration to address the shortage of truckers and improve working conditions for truck drivers.
Some critics shared their concerns on Twitter, with one user refuting claims of a trucker shortage.
“Widely profitable trucking companies are adamantly opposed to raising salaries for experienced truckers and are instead pushing to release inexperienced teenage drivers on the highways,” @GreenNewsReport tweeted.
Another questioned whether vaccination mandates were to blame for the trucker shortage and wondered if “a cell phone addicted teenager is safer than an unvaccinated driver”.
Some found humor in the initiative, with @keithcongrad joking, “How long until ‘Teen Truckers’ debuts on the History channel?”
Many Twitter users took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on the new pilot program, with some saying it would compromise security
In a statement, Nick Geale, vice president of workforce safety for the Trucking Associations, noted that 49 states and Washington, D.C., already allow drivers under 21 to drive semis. trailers, but they can’t take a load just across a state line.
“This program creates a rigorous safety training program, requiring an additional 400 hours of advanced safety training, in which participants are evaluated against specific performance criteria,” Geale said.
The program will ensure the industry has enough drivers to meet growing freight demand, he said.