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.
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The reason I asked was, must there be Martial Laww if the military is involved? Why couldn't we have the military on our border permanently, l ways keeping the border safe from cartels and illegals coming in?
Yes Marlene, its called welcome to reality. Anyone willing to observe can see the age group of people willing to actually work and learn belong in the 16-25 age group. At 18 One has graduated High School, and not among those looking forward to college or mindless jobs such as McDonald's. Among these are excellent candidates for Long Haul Truck Operators. This "Trade" allows them the potential of Homes and Families unaided with Government Supplements. This is the American Way!
Lynn Bryant DeSpain
But Lynn the whole problem is that their maturity, and life experience is crap and the libs want them on the road with a possible deadly weapon of mass distruction...
SOME 18 yr olds are very mature and responsible. We need to stop treating children as if they will always need our help, we need to give them responsibilities early and expect them to lern to do them well. Send them all to the Amish for a summer....they will give them reality!
I agree, I knew Lieutenants in Viet Nam who were 20yrs old, corporals, and buck sergeants barely 19 yrs old. However, responsible and mature 18yr olds still require the technical skills acquired with experience... too, be considered SAFE OPERATORS... let them drive as co-drivers in a team operation with more experienced lead drivers... a type of apprenticeship. Everyone will be safer and the industry more efficient and cost-effective... fewer accidents, damaged freight, and mechanical problems due to equipment abuse.
Technical skills you learn before you go on the road. As a military guy you must understand you don't send kids into harms way without first training them...first basick training, then whatever else they need to learn. This is no different.....truckers have to go to school, they don't just hand them the keys and say good luck!
The training CDL operators receive in the 4-6 week courses offered today don't prepare new CDL operators for driving in most situations... heavy traffic, on ice, negotiating Bostons allies, or the steep Grades of the Rockies... They get very little training on maintaining or diagnosing mechanical problems such as an air-brake failure or steer tire blowout... and a whole host of other unique experiences needed to successfully negotiate the narrow streets of old town NY City or the overhead obstructions found in many of the narrow allies they are expected to back into ... against moving traffic. Most people have no idea just how many technical skills are needed to become a well-qualified commercial driver.
I won't even get into the technical data and skills needed to legally secure large and oversized loads on flatbeds or other equipment... nor the requirements for hooking up to triple and double trailers... do that wrong and a trailer may go sailing down the highway without a tractor attached. My uncle owned a trucking company and I used to work as a kid, loading, rigging and hooking up trailers in the local yard... That was a time before CDLs. existed. I also supervised heavy truck operations as part of my responsibilities in my early years in the military.
No, it takes years of driving experience to become a well-qualified, professional heavy truck operator...
As a young Engineer Lieutenant, I took the Engineer Officers Maintenance Course and it covered the transport and rigging of heavy and oversized equipment and materials... quite an eye-opener.
The Towns Christmas decorations probably were not at the regulation height above the street... 13'6" I doubt the driver's load was over 13'6" and that the Christmas lights either sagged over time or were put up incorrectly. All main thoroughfares in the US have a minimum of 13'6'' height or they must be marked as to the height... with warning signs in time for big rigg operators to avoid the low clearance.
Is this what those illegal teenagers flown all over the USA will be doing?
No, they will be too busy selling the cartel's drugs and mugging old ladies to actually work and pay taxes...
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