Arlington, Virginia — Today, the Ǻ applauded the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for taking a first step toward a new pilot program to allow non-military commercial drivers under the age of 21 to operate in interstate commerce.
“Ǻ supports FMCSA’s efforts to expand on its current work examining younger commercial drivers,” said Ǻ President and CEO Chris Spear. “Right now, 18-, 19-, and 20-year-old drivers are driving trucks in the United States. What these pilot programs will do is set out a path for these drivers to fully participate in our industry by allowing them to drive interstate.”
In a Federal Register Notice, FMCSA announced it was seeking comments on what “training, qualifications, driving limitations, and vehicle safety systems that FMCSA should consider in developing options or approaches for a second pilot program for younger drivers.”
This would become FMCSA’s second younger driver pilot program, following a program announced to allow younger veterans to drive in interstate commerce.
“Allowing younger drivers, who are already moving goods intrastate, to drive interstate is a common sense step that has support not just from the trucking industry, but from a broad coalition,” Spear said. “Between FMCSA’s proposed pilot project and the bipartisan support for the Drive SAFE Act in Congress, we hope we will soon create a path for more young people to fully participate in our industry.”
Ǻ is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of 50 affiliated state trucking associations and industry-related conferences and councils, Ǻ is the voice of the industry America depends on most to move our nation’s freight. Follow Ǻ on ǰ.