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The federal government will let teens drive transports throughout the nation in a move it hopes will alleviate the supply chain crisis - but the initiative is being panned by critics who fear it could lead to disaster.

The new apprenticeship program deviates from current law - which requires truckers crossing state lines to be at least 21 years old - by allowing 18- to 20-year-old drivers to travel beyond their home states.

The push to change the law comes as the industry faces an exodus of 600,000 retiring truckers by 2028, and the Transportation Department estimated last October that 80,000 new hires were needed this year to offset attrition and clear a backed-up supply chain.   

The pilot program, detailed last week in a proposed regulation from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, would screen the teens and bar any with driving-while-impaired violations or traffic tickets for causing a crash.

But safety advocates say the program runs counter to data showing that younger drivers get in more crashes than older ones. 

read more:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10416127/Feds-allow-TEENAGERS-drive-big-rigs-state-state-apprenticeship-test-program.html

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    • P/S  Truck drivers need to learn to drive on the RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD... the highway to heaven is found in right living and obeying the rules of the road.... life's road and the conventional highways of mankind.  

  • How many teenagers 18 years old can even drive a car right, and most of them are in college.

  • We don't have a driver shortage... We have an EPA , OSHA and DOT regulatory and hours of service problem... EPA emission standards for desiel equipment have put many of the older tractors out of service due too their failure to meet EPA emission standards.  Hours of Service regulations and enforcement have cut back total available hours for driving and OSHA standards for loading an unloading frozen goods require longer breaks when hanlling fozen goods, among other non-productive hour grabbing regulations... etc.

    The containers ships at anchor are the result of mandated slow downs by dock workers unions, Customs clearencrs and unnecessary harbor management delays .. the thousands of containers sitting ready to load are the result of union slow walking cargo and container movements.  It takes a special crane to load containers on their transport trailers... Basically, COVID absentees, union slow downs and local port management delays are causing the back up... it is not a lack of commondities .... it is a lack of loading and shipping assets.

    Reforms in the EPA standards for diesal emissions, a rewrite of the hours of service rules... together with a return to full service, non-covid, port operations will solve the supply chain issues.

    • It's the stupid vaccine mandate that drives this, thousands of guys didn't retire suddenly, they would drive but they can't because they will not get the vaccine! 

      it is now the Supreme Court's fault we have this problem, they should have stuck with the constitution and the'll the government and Fouchi the people have the right to choose, no one has the right to force them to take something they don't want!

    • Agreed, it is the West Coast ports of entry that are having the union and covid mandate problems... there is a long history of off and on dock and container access problems and with Newsome enforcing the EPA standards many of the older trucks are simply barred from being loaded and used.  I don't believe this is the case on the East Coast or Gulf Coast.

  • Driving  Big rigs takes a lot of experience  now days the Roads  are very dangerous to  the experience  Driver , teenagers  are not good driving  cars  not to mention  trucks . More stupidity  from the  left's Devilcrats. 

    • Many of the younger inexperienced CDL drivers are assigned to team operations... with an older driver being in charge of the rig.  Younger drivers are then under the supervision of more experienced licensed operators... who can take over if needed in bad weather, heavy traffic, or complicated backing situations.  I envision that most of the18yr olds will operate local delivery trucks or be members of a TEAM OPERATED commercial truck... not left on their own.

    • I seen teenages who can't even drive a small car right, not to mention any 18 wheeler.

  • When it comes to crossing State Lines, Federal Jurisdiction takes Precedent.

    Lynn Bryant DeSpain

  • People buy guns off the street and rob stores. Should we get rid of the 2nd Amendment?

    Lynn Bryant DeSpain

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