A federal pilot program which allows truck drivers under the age of 21 to drive interstate is now underway. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao says that the program will help fix the “driver shortage.”
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is now accepting applicants for the Under 21 Military CDL Pilot Program. According to the FMCSA, the three-year pilot program will “study the feasibility, benefits, and safety impacts of allowing 18-20 year-old drivers to operate commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in interstate commerce.”
While applicants to the pilot program must be U.S. military veterans or reservists, the FMCSA isn’t examining the difference between of military drivers and non-military drivers, but rather between drivers 18-20 and drivers 21-24.
Already, DOT officials seem fairly confident that younger drivers will be given the green light.
“This program will help our country’s Veterans and Reservists transition into good-paying jobs while addressing the shortage of truck drivers in our country,” said Secretary Chao.
Source: FMCSA, freightwaves, fleetowner, overdrive, ttnews
Raise the per miles pay, give trucker guaranteed places to park, and remedy some of the other things that drivers have to deal with that are unnecessary and you will not have the shortage of drivers you now have. Allowing 18 years olds to drive is only going to make things worse. Being a retired trucker and coming from a trucking family, I have always said the age should be 25 and up.
OTR drivers should get atlest 80k a year
80k , i make that an sleep in my bed Wednesday , home Friday by noon an leave out Sunday or Monday an i made 85k last year as a company driver. ………
With who?
He’s talking gross, not net.
Find a company near you that does postal work. I made 63 last year and am home everyday. Def make 80 if i did the routes that go out a couple days.
Joe that’s great but you are not the average driver you are above average in earnings we all know what the average pay is and OTR company drivers make the least.
I made 104k and am home every day and off every weekend! Pull doubles for a good company and you will make it period! For you nay sayers ask any ups fedex freight saia or Estes driver.
100k with benefits & hometime.
With who?
Probably FEDEX GROUND
Y’all all brag about how much you make, but nobody replies when asked who you drive for…..
Yes indeed
I make that and I’m home every night
you are so right–going to be alot of accidents –all insurance will go up to compensate.
First off there is no driver shortage! Second eighteen year olds do not have the mentality to handle the decision making that come with driving a commercial truck. Your issue is these large self insured company’s like Swift, Werner and others that can’t retain drivers due to all the accedents that there drivers have! Of course the big company’s are able to pay off politicians to get this passed because they need drivers.
Lawl okay 18 year olds join the military and make descions that can save or cost lives. But apparently dont have what it takes to drive OTR…?
18 year olds in the military don’t make decisions. They are told what to do, when to do it, and they do. Sometimes
Military are not 18 when they are discharged. And drivers don’t get three or more months of training and discipline. like military.
Yes, in the military they are guided by very experienced leaders. They aren’t given a weapon and turned loose to learn life on their own. No comparison here.
Cheap drivers.
Thats what i am thinkong…didnt the labor dept or some such determine recently theres no driver shortage. Could it be the dept is giving in to big company lobbiest who want the country flooded with cheap labor.
Exactly.
And the rates for all drivers will follow. Big corporate companies bring down wages to put in their own pockets. This is nothing more than that.
Go online and look up truck driving jobs and see how many pop up. There wouldn’t be nearly 20,000 drivers short a crossed the nation if that’s the case. I read a ton trucking blogs and continue to find a shortage in the industry. My husband’s company needs drivers badly and they are home every night and company paid insurance plus they are union.
Who does he work for?
Companies always want more of the same market as other companies. There are not loads waiting to be delivered.
More drivers would push down freight revenue and driver pay.
I drove straight out of the Army. I was , however, In a transportation unit. 78th trans co of 37th trans group. The difference was that a active mission trans unit is very different than convoys and or sitting in the motor pool daily. Get your crowbars and chains ready boys….here comes the onslaught of the no-stick teflon drivers….I’m sure as a result of this we will have some new rules in a few years.
You mean they need drivers who will accept a pay they want to pay.
You claim”no driver shortage”.What info is the basis for that statement? Many who make this claim look at stats that show numbers indicating how many cdl’s are currently issued, across the board.The fact is, many individuals who possess a cdl aren’t active in the industry for a multitude of reasons.Some can’t find employment for lack of expeience.Others discover they don’t have the nerve to operate large commercial vehicles and, pretty much, are overcome with anxiety issues right off the bat.This job isn’t for everyone and the first day on the job can be a career ender in the industry for those without the nerve to do it.I’ve seen this first hand in team scenario’s where grown men have become totally broken by this phenomenon and ended up in tears behind the wheel.
BOO HOO cry me river of tears,I been out here since 86,and the only driver shortage is with the mega companies not being able to fill the seats on their 10,000 plus trucks,2 drivers 24 hrs a day, if you cant handle it they fire your ass and put somebody else in the seat,Elaine Chao doesn’t have a clue whats going on out here shes busy making money for herself and her family, and infrastructure for kentucky,she needs to be fired, bring em on fill the roads up with 18-20 yo’s cant be any worse than some of morons we have out here now, trucking sucks,7 more years and I’m done, hope I don’t kill anyone before that happens Peace And Love Y’all be safe!
Yep and the human brain doesn’t fully developed until 26
Isn’t fully developed
Truck drivers need a,brain ,ha ha ha
The lack of a driver is due to the conditions of work that we confront every day, as well spoken we need better remuneration, places to stop, better remuneration and more respect, I fear that young people of 18 to 20 years in the driving of roads can put in danger many lives.
Don’t mention that most youngsters are not ready to give up the weed… with it becoming decriminalized and legal for recreational use everywhere I wonder if I live long enough to see the day that a driver can not be discriminated upon on what he does on his own free time… in other words.. will they be able to smoke just like having a few beers and watching some football… up to 24 hours before they have to drive??.. can they narrow it down to how recently somebody has smoked..you think??.. I don’t think there’s any science out there that can measure that unfortunately.. any thoughts??.. by the way I am over the weed I am almost 48 years old and this is the only reason I have not drove a big truck over the road yet.. but I’m going to.. cleaning up for the hair test now.. 60 days in… 120 more to go to be safe I’m giving it 6 months… although all my research has shown that it’s average 90 days that they go back for hair drug test..ANY THOUGHTS.???.COMMENTS???… it might be Overkill but I’d rather be safe than sorry
Well said, there is no shortage there is a pay and benefits shortage these companies are just getting cheep.
Getting?
Well let them drop the age and sorry to say but hope they have back storage of body bags because the death count due yo accidents will rise. They are looking for a quick fix to phase out all older driver so they can drop pay scale even lower that,s what this program is all about.!!
Its driving a truck not rocket science majority of 16 year olds could do it so 18 to 21 will be no problem
You just said a mouth full of truth.
@truckeareworthless, you have shown your complete ignorance. It’s more then sitting behind a wheel. If it’s really the way you feel, stick to buying the things you need that didn’t get there by a truck. I bet the device you used to write that assine comment came by truck! You should throw it away, stick to your convictions.
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Agree
All the comments i read on here need to be paid attention to
we all know we live or have lived it.
No fair rates
They made it almost impossible for the o/o to compete
They want young and dumb
Someone they are able to push around
So what they say and pump there heads with the get rich scheme
Chase that bone
Hurry it has to be sone you have to b/s
Bureaucratic b/s
Acknowledgement of enlisted members of the armed forces to run heavy duty equipment has always been a separate entity from corporate America. To have a joint establishment between the two rewards both to be enfused for the purpose of power/control. Isn’t the reason roads were to be built in America to support the travel of the military? So, having military, veterans, or enlisted become corporate is to enfuse power. In a crisis situation (Katrina), you will drive forvthe pay. Enlisted soldiers will drive to support, not for pay. You will drive and take advantage of the situation because it’s a crisis and expect to be paid top dollar because of the crisis, but have you considered drive to support because of the dyer need?
Cheep?
I taught myself how to drive a stick at the age of 12 and have been living on my own since 17. I’ve been a commercial driver for 30 plus accident free years and we got way to many 25 year olds in this country still living with mommy and daddy as it is. If an 18 year old is old enough to defend their country how could anyone be so mislead to believe the same person wouldn’t be able to manage the relatively simple task of driving a truck ? I learned how to do it in 2 1/2 hours good enough to get my 1st trainee position as a heavy duty tow operator many moons ago. If your so slow in the head it takes 25 years to pick up on it you probably shouldn’t be a truck driver in the 1st place
Your entire comment speaks for itself.
Listen Tow Head, the age should never be lowered for some made up driver shortage. This is just a ploy to attrack new meat for the large companies that pay so low and treat drivers like servants after they make them sign contracts forcing them to drive for 2 years or pay them lump sum a ridiculous price for their training . I have been driving for 25 years and I am a professional driver. If you drive long enough in todays driving environment, you are going to be involved in an accident. Last year I had a car loose control on the other side of the interstate and cross the median head on. I decided to react and they hit me in the side instead of head-on but the cost was rough for me because I took a ride off the ride hitting trees head on and my trailer coming around me. I broke my ankle, eat glass after the motor came back in my lap and could not walk for months. I don’t regret my defensive action because it saved two older ladies in a car from definitive death. I can say that I have no faith in FMCSA making good laws concerning safety or improving conditions that promote a regulated industry with common sense. This was just a powerful lobby of trucking conglomerates trying to get access to a young naive segment that they can exploit to make more profit. I have said for years a CDL driver should be 25 before being eligible to insure integrity and be settled. I have always said the Europeans have a better system and trained drivers in general than the US. In Germany a driver becomes eligible to start driving and a permit at driving school. They have classroom instruction and student driving which takes about 3 months after certification they are able to drive by themselves without any restriction like being with another licensed driver above 25. Most 16 year old drivers have an average of 2 accidents before the age of 18. Is that good judgement? My insurance man justified their rates on my 16 year old son, they don’t even teach or offer drivers education in school anymore! Our country needs something more than just a correction, maybe overhaul. I see bidy bags as a direct result, lets just hope it is not any of your family that becomes a part in that statistic….
Today they have to play video games cause problems be disruptive break rules pop pills, get high.. all the good stuff before they even roll out of bed 🤕🤧🤒😷🙀
Nothing but cheap scabs
Scabs form when the body has been injured….you ever stop to think about that, hot-rod?
Like any thing it take’s hand on experience and command since to be good at driving two and half hours you say to learn stay behind me going down the road because your dangerous it takes about five years of all season driving to say your good
Proud of you but you are one of very few who have that gift to learn at such a young age … Looking at todays youth no way . And I agree you should at least be 21 yrs old to defend our country . Don’t send puppies to a dog fight …
30 years ago was a much different time.
Back when we started driving trucks the mentally was a whole lot different than it is today, drivers were proud to drive and didn’t think twice about it.
Today youth only cares about playing video games while living in They’re parents basement and cry when they have to work
Right on John Holt,well said, came from similar background, pulpwood hauler from 1970’s
Great comments!
Outlaw ANY company being SELF insured. It is the biggest conspiracy in the trucking industry.
What 18-21 yr old wants to spend a month or two out on the road driving for “SLAVE WAGE” and anyways at that age they should still be in the military, probably make more staying in the marines than they would being “PUPPET” for swift, england or whatever cheesy company.
truck drivers with a CDL two years plus experience should have 100 grand salary.
Should be more like 50 grand.
HA! The job isn’t even worth doing for $50k I love driving but I wouldn’t touch a truck for less than $85k.
Those young punks will get 35k and live in their trucks
50 grand is 100k
Because we work 90 hours a week
18 year olds… driving a 75 foot…100,000 pound Truck…being pushed” to falesifie logs…missing sleep”…little time to eat”…no life experiences” to know better! What could possibly go wrong?! Beside…their more explotable!
Exactly. More accidents, more death. Help with the Driver Shortage, help out more Doctors, Hospitals, Morticians, Insurance Companies. Sounds like a great solution?! Those people who make RULES for Trucking Industry NEED to go out on a TWO WEEK RUN!!
Yup! No place for KIDS to play behind the wheel of an 18 wheeler!
I no longer drive with 1.6 mil. In a seat no major crashes trainer for 2 different companies end milage pay bring back perdium and regulate freight like old days driving ,would be a good job once More
I’m not sure you understand deregulation. It allowed more trucking companies to start-up. The old way there were only a few megas
If they would actually go out on a 2 week run they would see how few real drivers are on the highway already. Drivers being trained by drivers who haven’t been driving a year themselves. People who are not drivers do not realize that there is more to driving a big rig than just being able to hold one on your side of a big interstate highway. It’s crazy. I have never seen as many runaway trucks on Black Mtn in NC on I-40 as i have in the past 5 years. That’s strictly from inexperienced drivers with too little training. But we NEED more inexperienced drivers on the road.
U mean thats,not a,sand play pen
I don’t think any of them have a CDL license or ever had one
Two weeks my foot. How about they have to have a cdl and go thru the training program that is being offered. Then make them go solo for 2 months. Then and only then could they even begin to understand what we do everyday.
Really, my nephew has been driving for years already around the farm. He drives “real” tractors and hauls the animal trailers/wagons better than most the drivers I see come through the doors of US Xpress.
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Seems your ignorance is showing. 80,000lbs is max gross unless you have permits allowing more, logs are electronic now, so cheating is a lot harder to do now than it was. The outlaw days are coming to an end, so y’all need to get with the programs, or get left behind.
It’s just another ploy to keep the pay down. There are so many young drivers now that don’t know how to drive out there already it’s unbelievable to watch them try to back a truck into a dock and take a 15 or 20 minutes of your time. It’s just a crock pay the drivers what they’re worth and keep professionals out there instead of bringing in a bunch of kids that don’t even know how to drive a car yet.
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So what cheap labor ,but they in a brand new ride
I agree. How is an 18-20 yrs old going to be veteran and a reservist has obligations to the government, not trucking. So if they get called to an emergency, there is still a shortage. Bad idea from people who are forgetting about their family on the road with these young drivers. The money for that program could help parking, address rates and so much more…
You’re absolutely right!
Amen brother!!
Just wondering, how many veterans are under 21? Don’t you have to make a 4 year minimum commitment when you first enlist? If an 18 year old “me” had enough training (at least 2 months in the truck with a GOOD trainer) I think I could have made it at that age. But it’s a gamble.
This is all about lowering pay. There never was a shortage!
These companies don’t care about our family they don’t care about nothing the government is burden to us
Their trailer park girlfriends will dig em
Was in the industry for 49+ years, putting young people in control of a Semi is completely Ludicrous, likened to giving a 12 year old a shotgun, but wouldn’t expect any less from the group in office now, PRAY FOR THE INDUSTRY…!!!!!
I agree
As a former driver myself I agree with you 100%
Agree
They are out of there minds for a quick fix to a shortage they knew about 30 years ago
An 18-23 year old cant even plan a day yet alone handle 80k or more
You are absolutely right!!! Also to give mandatory timeline to load and unload should also be implemended, because it is ridiculous waing up to 24hours for setting that should not take more than 2 hours. That’s why everyone’s quitting their jobs and hauling local
I agree , 18 not the answer and good luck with that! Non truckers making rules god help us
These boys and girls can serve in the military at 18 because they have supervision…
I’m sorry, but all the qualcomms in the world do not equal a good buck-sergeant looking over your shoulder….
Hell, there were times when I was in my 40’s and 50’s and felt like hollering for help!
I believe the trucking industry can get back on track when the FMCSA gets out of the business of telling a driver when he is too tired to drive.
Entrance ramps are perfectly safe to park and get some sleep. I’ve used them thousands of nights.
And I NEVER had an accident when I was driving and sleeping according to my body, instead of that accursed logbook / computer!!!
Acknowledgement of enlisted members of the armed forces to run heavy duty equipment has always been a separate entity from corporate America. To have a joint establishment between the two rewards both to be enfused for the purpose of power/control. Isn’t the reason roads were to be built in America to support the travel of the military? So, having military, veterans, or enlisted become corporate is to enfuse power.
Agreed.
ur stupid to even say that i know 15 year olds i would sleep behind then most these older drivers im sure u got no problem with them risking there lives for ur freedom
Amen
I totally endorse it. 👍
What shortage? Every store I go in has anything I could want…. There is no freaking “driver shortage”…. It’s propaganda.
Naw lets keep a shortage of druvers until they pay cdl workers correctly. Drivers who work for companies and home everyday get paid more than drivers OTR. How in the hell. OTR drivers should get atlest 80k a year to be away from their families and not being able to enjoy their hard work. U want more driver raise the pay
You’re correct. I’m home every night, and have weekends off. And holidays off- with pay. I did OTR for 7 years. It sucked. Been doing local for 8 years and have no regrets.
Been drivin 35+ yrs otr gave it up 2 yrs ago for a local job makin that 80k a yr. Best i ever did running otr 43k. What make the final straw. Came home for home time lookin on cl found a job 14.00 hr paid holidays paid tuition for collage 5 days a week workin at castle mega store. Ptetty bad a porn shop pays more then truckin
I work for a farmer pulling a dump bucket/tank/ hopper/van and am home more nights than not and cleared 80 last year on percentage of the truck so “good” paying cdl jobs are out there just have to find them. When the otr average is 50k or less 70k + looks amazing so pay is all relative and most drivers sell their time cheap
There isn’t enough money in the industry to pay a driver 80k and maintain the equipment and purchase new equipment and pay for fuel and pay taxes and pay penalties, etc….
Not enough needs to be 100k min after taxes
20/21 years old and allready veteran? ,younger driver will get the green light…. seriusly or it is joek…..wee need better rulls and let as work as we deserve it,no one need to sleep 10 h (kids don’t sleep 10 h) …..straight , another thing no job in this industry and they still saying ther is a shortage ,some big companys closing the bissnes after many years ,this means any think for these people ?…..from east coast brokers offering freight less than $1 per mile ….one of the bigest reason why drivers(old ) quit and don’t want to be used like a missing patr of the big rig…..sad nad shame on you rules makers …..all you do you do against to drivers and companies (small copanies o/o) not for as against to as……what it the point?? some one can explain…?
Why does it seem that no one is listening to those who live this job? There isn’t a driver shortage! There is, however, a shortage of pay and other benefits that still need to be addressed. If companies want to keep their drivers, then they need to pay them like it’s the year 2019 and not 1919.
I agree. There isn’t a driver shortage. Too many trucks getting not enough minet.
Shortage of drivers is a big lie. Where are the loads for more drivers?
Because the
Anti-Trucker-Association
says there’s a driver shortage in order to avoid paying experienced drivers a living wage.
Here again we’ll said, no one seems to listen to those that actually know the industry.
Amen amen amen
100 percent correct!!!
You are so correct
I highly doubt theres going to be droves of 18-21 year olds lineing up to drive anyways.
Wrong. Kids (ahem.. young adults) are very susceptible to advertising. The self insured megas will campaign hard to get them to sign up. Look at how many adults fall for their bullshit and imagine what it will be like for 18 year olds.
I’m seeing an influx of math challenged lease operators getting in way over their heads and bailing when they can’t make it work numbers don’t work for you you have to make them work and alot of “adult” drivers don’t have the discipline to make it work not everyone should own a business because not everyone is smart/disciplined enough to do so imho
Me neither. 18-21 year olds don’t want ANY jobs!
I think you is 100 percent. Correct an beside they are not want to going from there friend and family .an beside it no driver shortage it money shortage that why no one want to drive truck why would you run 2500 to 3000 mile only to bring home 600.00 that why no one driver tell this company to pay a living wages
Speak for yourself. There ARE some 18-21 year olds out there that have a willingness and drive to work. Don’t clump us all together simply because you see other young people slacking off.
Yes there will.
So many variations as to why they’re manipulating us and controlling us and holding us down at the end of the day we’re all prisoners
I agree with this.
Raise pay, provide more parking, change HOS rule, those seem to be topics that fall on deaf ears. Letting younger people drive these trucks is rediculous, seems to me, the big wigs just want to keep the money in their pocket by any means necessary
FMCSA, THERE IS NO DRIVER SHORTAGE! There are too many drivers out here, that’s why the rates are so low. It seems there are people who want the rates even lower so, they entice youngsters to quit their $150.00 a week jobs at Dominos Pizza and Piggly Wiggly, then they convince them that $400.00 to drive a truck is much better. Thus creating a legitimate and real driver shortage. Not going to work. People who just got their car driver’s license to operate their smart car and they want them driving 80,000 pound trucks?
I have been driving trucks legally since 1973. I drove from the time I was 16 until I turned 21 without a license and then in 73 I decided its time to get one . I was 25 . I do not think anyone under 21 should be allowed to drive WITHOUT a class A license but if they did allow it they should be issued a class B until they turn 25 .
I agree
yyou are not paying attention
👍👍
So there are kids out there making less than 400 a week at full time jobs in the fast food industry? That’s funny as my niece works 40 hours a week at burger king at 13.00 an hour and grosses $520 a week … Sure it’s not great, but Where did you get this 150 a week figure???
In Oklahoma you’re lucky to get a 10 $ an hour job unless its a trade. After taxes that’s under 400 a week. I’m not sure where you live but min wage is the norm for fast food here, as well as a lot of manufacturing jobs.
Is she a manager or cook or what ?
$13/hr at Burger King? You must live in California or New York. That’s more than my assistant managers made at my last two jobs. That’s more than the line/prep cooks with 5+ years of experience make at my current restaurant.
Like McDonald’s we should all go on strike… if drivers had two years experience plus should be making 100 grand a year paid for by the government
That’s the problem hand too much gubment
100 k dang I’d live in better trailer park
So you want to nationalize the trucking industry? I guess I’ll see you in the bread lines comrade.
1983
Yep all truck drivers with two years experience plus should be making 100 grand a year paid for by the government
Under 21 is a bad idea cause of the responsibility each day and a lot of those men will be serving prison for making costly mistakes on these highways.
Absolutely agree ! Jailing an 18 to 20 year old because of an accident with an 80,000 pound or more rig and only had their drivers license a month ! This is absurdity! This can’t be real…..they’re setting these kids up for a demonic failure if things go bad in a truck wreck !
100%. We are all oppressed driving prisoners
Ya, there’s local to be some inside looking out due to accidents. Maybe from following to close or just plainly not paying attention to anything except that damn cell phone.
I just want to say one thing, I was born a raised in the Trucking Business and I was driving a Truck when I was 14 years old . However there are different situations where somebody that has never been in or near a Truck I agree 100% it shouldn’t happen but really being 21 doesn’t make much difference. I learned to back in our Shop Yard and t this day I can Thread a Needle with a Conventional Peterbilt but again there are different situations. I came from the Old School. My Grand Daddy didn’t ask me if I wanted to Drive He just said go get your stuff together , you’re going to Florida. Like I said , you either got it or you Don’t . It’s in our DNA I think . Thanks
You are so right I bet a lot of younger people might try it. Then give it up. I was 18 many moons ago. and I know what I was having fun doing. Being young.
The article says that “applicants to the pilot program must be U.S. military veterans or reservists.”
How many 18- to 20-year-olds does the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration think are military veterans or reservists?
You’re spot on there. Exempting reserves, if you’re a veteran under the age of 21 with all of your limbs, you were most likely dishonorably discharged. Raising another huge red flag.
More than you might think….lotta military are getting out all the time…
I think this is more a business matter than a solution of a problem. Salary will continue falling down.
Benefits will be worsened.
We need joint together for better benefits.
We moved America so America needs to look to Us.
Is a shame they are only listening to the big low paying companies, and not the actual drivers who will tell you there’s too many drivers not enough pay.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.upi.com/amp/Top_News/US/2019/05/04/Truck-driver-faces-decades-in-prison-if-convicted-in-Colorado-crash/7921557014200/
I am 26 years old and I still think maturity to drive these commercial vehicles comes around the age of 30! This link is a potential common occurrence to having youngsters out on these roads!
Why are we bringing up the colorado accident? It’s a lack of mountain driving training and experience, not the age.
👏👏👏
Give veterans better jobs?
If I’m not mistaken most veterans that enter the workforce are usually over the age of 21. So unless someone lied about their age and enlisted at 14 don’t see how that’s a valid point.Been doing this close to thirty years now and don’t really see a driver shortage. Not at the better trucking jobs that actually pay drivers a descent pay and offer home time and benefits. Usually the companies that cry about a shortage are the same ones that will prey on these youngsters. I could name a few but the list is endless. Most really good jobs require no less than 2 years experience and a clean record.
Instead of wasting tax dollars studying these pilot programs. How about spending it on needed things like rest areas or safe places to take your break when your e logs (you know, another gift from the government) says you have to shut down. Or, if you really want to make an impact on the so called driver shortage. Study some of these companies out there that have a revolving door and help them figure out why they can’t recruit drivers or keep them. Or,simply ask someone who’s actually done this job and knows the reasons and save your money on yet another pointless government sponsored study. There is no shortage of drivers. Just a shortage of reputable companies.
Good explanation Wayne.
Amen you hit the nail on the head
Yep. 99% of the time you hear the word “veteran” in a proposal that doesn’t directly involve veterans, it’s a red herring and probably a bill that shouldn’t be passed.
We cant even get good adult drivers into the industry as much these days. Now they will add insult to injury lol.
Driver Shortage = Cheap Labor
If they want to give them good paying jobs truckimg isn’t it.
I have only been driving for about 4 years now and living on the highway there is no shortage at all of driver … drivers are leaving cuz theres no money in it anymore when we get Nickeled and dimed to death now we cant park anywheres unless we pay for it and companys dont want to reimburse for it so now im suppose to park $15 a day to park on a .42cpm pay they need to raise the pay and fixing this parking issues … and get on theres cold storage warehouses backs for the things they do to us … you can change the age requirement to 16 there will be a shortage of drivers cuz nobodys goin to stick around and work for next to nothing and be stuck in a 70 inch sleeper for a month at a time for free
At 16 you only get a permit to drive with a licened driver in the car and at 18 you can finally drive alone.. and now they can go strait into a semi?? Isnt that the same as finishing flight school trained on a 2 person Cessna to a commercial jet liner? Would you want to be on that plane? Also do t you have to be 18 to join the military? With 2 years as minimum inlistments ? And wouldnt that make ( 18 y/o veterans) washouts?? ( not bad mouthing vets or military) oh and not to mention the autonomous vehicles they are trying to replace drivers with, how is this in any way a good idea? Maybe i am confused but isnt this setting kids up to fail? And yes i mean kids.. using fake id,s to buy beer kids.. there is no doubt that many at 18 have a responsibility necessary to do the job.. but most will not. At 18 your mind is on sex and beer, if it were on a career you woudnt be looking into being a trucker.. the only way this makes any sence to me is the government is trying internationally to push experienced drivers off the road to make autonomous vehicles easier to get on the road..
Isnt the highest rate of accidents caused by drivers 18 to 20? Maybe thats what is needed for the autonomous push.. a higher statistic of truck accidents.. rediculas
Love it. Its a great setup for a bigger plan the accidents will go up with younger drivers they are at an age where the Cell phone and Social rules there World. If you take there Cell phone or Social Media away they would probably fall on the ground crying or worst put a gun to your head if they can’t use it. Now imagine that. They companies out here are disrespectful money hungry Devils they dont care about family time and good wages most of the disbatchers haven’t even drove 2hrs in traffic or bad weather to a truck stop or dock and not to mention bad planners that dont understand time management. The insurance companies that insure drivers want babies behind the wheel until the accidents and fatalities sky rocket they are playing Russian roulette with the public. Bottom Line pay Mature experienced Drivers more give Us more hometime and let train these damn babies before they make all of our lives a living HELL these babies aren’t ready for this type of Responsibility and we dont need to loose lives behind Greediness Mfs
Eric idk what state you are in but in Arkansas and I believe most states, you get a driving permit at 14 and a regular licenses at 16.
I do agree with the rest of your comment though. There are no veterans under 20 but the article did mention reservist as well so basically those would be the only ones to qualify.
As a veteran myself, I had a far more dangerous job between the ages of 18 to 20 than driving a semi but overall, I think their proposal is a bad ideal.
Not in Illinois.
Illinois Graduated Driver License Program
New Illinois drivers are subject to the Graduated Driver License program, which restricts young drivers in phases to allow them to work their way into full driving privileges.
“Permit Phase Driver Restrictions — Drivers Age 15”
Must hold an instruction permit, which requires parent/legal guardian consent, enrollment in an approved driver education course, and successful completion of vision and written tests. Instruction permits are valid for up to two years.
Must be accompanied by a parent or adult age 21 or older who hold a valid driver’s license.
Prohibited from driving during the following nighttime hours: Sunday–Thursday, 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. and Friday–Saturday 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.
The number of passengers is limited to one in the front seat and the number of safety belts in the back seat; all occupants must be wearing a safety belt.
Must hold a permit for at least 9 months (or turn 18, whichever comes first) before applying for their initial license.
Cell phone use while driving, including the use of hands-free devices, is prohibited for drivers under the age of 19 (except in emergency situations). Texting while driving is prohibited for all drivers.
Any moving violations will result in a nine-month waiting period before applying for a driver’s license.
Not eligible for a hardship permit. Anyone caught driving without a permit is ineligible to obtain a license until they turn 18.
“Initial License Phase — Drivers 16–17”
A parent or legal guardian will need to accompany teen to provide written consent to obtain a driver license, or complete and notarize the Affidavit/Consent for Minor to Drive form. Parent or guardian must also certify that teen has completed a minimum of 50 hours of practice driving, at least 10 of which are at night.
Must have completed a state-approved driver education course.
Prohibited from driving during the following nighttime hours: Sunday–Thursday, 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. and Friday–Saturday 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.
For the first year of initial licensing (or until the driver turns 18, whichever occurs first), the number of passengers is limited to one person under the age of 20, unless the passengers are siblings, stepsiblings, children or stepchildren of the driver. After this period, the number is limited to one in the front seat and the number of safety belts in the backseat; all passengers must wear seatbelts at all times.
Must maintain a conviction-free driving record for 6 months prior to turning 18 before moving to Full Licensing. A traffic conviction or moving violation will result in a warning letter to the parent and teenager. A moving violation within the first year will also result in an extension of the passenger limit. Two moving violations within a two year period will result in a minimum one-month license suspension. Suspended drivers must attend a remedial education course and are subject to a reinstatement fee and retesting.
Drivers under the age of 18 with unresolved traffic tickets will be denied issuance of a license.
“Full License Phase — Drivers 18–20”
Must complete an approved 6-hour adult driver education course prior to obtaining their first drivers license.
Cell phone use while driving, including the use of hands-free devices, is prohibited for drivers under the age of 19 (except in emergency situations). Texting while driving is prohibited for all drivers.
You have your ages wrong – at least in California you can drive ALONE And receive your license at 16 – you get your permit at 15.
Your able to get a license at 16. Permit at 15.
U forgot drugs and,rock n roll dude
Oh boy, am I glad I’m no longer driving a rig. Really glad. The industry that’s already in the sewer is going even deeper. With a jumping economy and tons of jobs out there, anybody who isn’t really happy to be driving a truck nowadays is foolish to think it’s going to get better. Seriously, wake up! 20 yr old kids driving, zero common sense out on the roads as it is already, you practically need to be bilingual to communicate, zero courtesy or professionalism anymore, drivers who can’t spell ‘shower’ much less think they need one, c’mon sheeple, the people who are making the decisions and making all these stupid rules in this industry have never even been in a big truck or on the road, yet, y’all are just following the herd. You get these 18-year-olds behind the wheel of an 80,000 lb tractor-trailer w/ a cell phone in their face racing down the road or through a truck stop parking lot and there should be no surprises to the outcome. Like some previous posters said, they need to change a whole lot more about this industry than opening the doors for 18 yr olds and foreign drivers who barely speak any English to think they’re fixing the driver shortage problem. What an absolute joke the trucking industry has become. Get the hell out while you can before the economy flip flops and you’re stuck holding a steering wheel for a job you’ll come to hate if you haven’t already. I’m damn glad every day I don’t have to put up with the bs of everything trucking has become anymore, working in a cesspool.
AMEN! All true..thankfully able to retire..how sad this once proud profession has become..like the saying goes..you reap what you sow..
Glad I retired, First Student drivers now KIDS! Omg! WHAT is happening to the trucking industry?? Becoming a CIRCUS! NO real truckers anymore, only steering wheel holders— totally Clueless children !!!
36 years out here and MT Pockets you are right on the money with your comment. Every word true.
Agreed….this is a trucker’s worst fear, more idiots on and over the road….
Preachin to the choir
Their isn’t a trucker shortage. There is a parking shortage. The roads already have too many untrained drivers now. These untrained drivers come from a 2 or 3 week thick driving schools! Fix that problem first.
I agree completely.
Only an idiot would get into driving with autonomous vehicles on the verge of launching in a big way.
Not gonna happen for many many years.
I call it premeditated murder the government knows the statistics of accidents. 70% of accidents are fatigue related allow an 18 year old who can barely handle 6 hours of school get in the truck where you have to work 15 hours a day a recipe for disaster. (Murder)
( redrum)
I agree with DG. Self driving trucks are a LONG way off. I don’t care HOW many videos these manufacturers put out showing how ‘nice’, and ‘smart’ these new high tech trucks are . . . Just sayin’.
It’s not going to happen. Too many risks just to let robots pilot a large vehicle. We still have pilots and locomotive engineers for a reason.
Y’all need to wake up there is no driver shortage there is a freight shortage.
When large companies buy 50,000 new trucks for no reason other than to make mire money!
Let me put this in terms even you can understand Mrs. Chao. You & your husband each have 1 car, you’re happy, you can both get around, you each have your own car. Now your husband decides to buy 2 more cars for each of you. Now you do not have a driver shortage, you have too many cars. Get the point yet?!?!?
Nice.
Why not penalize the shippers and receivers for wait time.
Why?
They can get the driver to sit there and wait for free, remember this is the trucking industry, this is one of the only jobs that you can be at work and not be paid.
Michael, you are right on to the point. Well said.
Yes, Mrs Chao and her husband Mitch McConnell now have a bigger TAX WRITE OFF.
U mean chicken neck
If a man or woman can lay there lives on the alter of freedom for me, and need a good paying job is all they ask for there sacrifice.
Teach them correctly how to operate a commercial vehicle, the ends and outs of the industry. For a period of 6 mounths with a driver of at least 5yr. Experience thenselves. Makeing for a strong future in this industry.
But are they not. Trying to push for self driving trucks. Do you really want a job that will be gone in a few years anyway. Think about it.
Tracy, your driving job is secure. Nothing is going away in a “few years”.
The autonomous vehicles are coming, and when they do come for a while rates of pay will go up as it will take more technical ability to operate these type of vehicles in the beginning?
However as technical logical advancements take place in these systems, taking less technical ability to operate .
Turning a good-paying job that increases pay with experience, into a minimum wage position that will be filled by yes 18 to 21 year olds straight out of school,
What is pushing the drive for the autonomous vehicles it’s not safety and convenience it’s money because with better automation comes less labor costs to the companies,
Yes granted this is still years away,
Will it make our lives more convenient? I Don’t Know!
What this will do is create a increase in poverty rate in society in general,, increasing unemployment of people that are not technically qualified to operate technical equipment.
Let’s face it there are a whole lot of people that barely make it through high School, and do not have the technical savvy it takes to learn operate technical type of stuff!
however you can teach them to drive trucks and forklifts and stuff like that, making them productive members of society able to support their families with a living wage in general increase our economy and not burden charities & welfare / public assistance four people in society that really need it.
Yeah I should proofread things better 🤔 especially after talking text into my phone,
Y’all know what I meant,
PS. “I’m not a smart man”
How will autonomous trucks back into the correct dock #21?
How will autonomous trucks deliver OVERSIZED LOADS, REEFER FROZEN LOADS OF ICE CREAM, PRODUCE, SEAFOOD 🦞 ETC?
The exact same stink was made about the RAIL, LOL 😝 until they found out the Rail can take up to 14 days to deliver their freight; when a semi driver can deliver in 2 1/2 days, Teams, 1 1/2 days.
Drivers should start being picky about the freight they haul, work for a good company that hauls important freight that no way can go on the Railroad 🛤 or on some autonomous trucks.
Drivers are still in the driver seat with choices.
IT ALL STARTS IN ORIENTATION, NEVER TRY TO NEGOTIATE WITH A RECRUITER, especially the ones with the Sexy voices.
Always drive your own car or a rental and be prepared to pay for your own hotel room just in case they try to double you up with someone else, don’t ever get trapped listening to a recruiter, they don’t get paid by the hour, they get paid putting butts in the seats.
Pay attention drivers, if there’s a driver shortage, then the drivers have the power to negotiate in orientation, if you don’t like what you hear, LEAVE.
PS, can you see an autonomous truck backing into a dock in the Missouri Caves, LOL 😝, let see the yuppie college boys figure that one out.
Im waiting on robot truck drivers, gonna,be bad was, I will be back to run u over
It’s not about doing something for those who “lay [their] lives on the [altar] of freedom…” The use of military veterans for this study will skew the results. The question should be whether or not a non-military 18-20 year old can safely perform the job. It should be common sense that someone having served is likely to be more mature and responsible than their counterpart, especially if their their job was to drive heavy vehicles.
Exactly
I cant see driverless trucks working. Computer fails accident. How do u get from point a to point be without freight being stolen. If it’s long haul how does the fuel get refilled?
By station attendant
Mom and dad dont let your kids do this.Its only because truck drivers are mistreated now that theres a high turn over rate.This is a skilled job that takes years to perfect.Everyday is a learning experience in a truck.18 yrs old is to young,no texting,handsfree cell phone policies are in place with most companies.Companies only care about moving freight,not drivers at all.Would hate to see our youth and other drivers killed on these highways.Ask the neighbor,uncle or friends about beint a truckdriver its not a job.Its a complete lifestyle change that were under paid to do.
I welcome a lifestyle change. I’m already sick and tired of having a basic old lifestyle.
Yep. That driver shortage that the Department of Labor determined to be fictional. But Secretary Chao obviously has better research backing up her conclusions, than the Department of Labor. Studies were done… weren’t they? No, no, no… we’re going to do those studies, later, after we figure out what the conclusions that we need to reach, will require in the way of supporting statistics. We gotta know what numbers we need, before we make them up – we’d hate to tell the wrong lies…
But sure – this will open up those jobs at Burger King and McDonald’s, that the 18-20-year-olds would otherwise be doing, so that our veterans can all have three jobs apiece, and still live in their cars.
Thanks Chairman Mao – er, I mean Secretary Chao…
Elaine Chao is wife of Turkey Gobbler Mc Connell from Kentucky. I think he is in the US house of representatives. Whos is she representing ? DId they smoke something before saying this ? Yes, Driver shortage is another myth like global warming and carbon tax, co2, any other bullsh_t the globalistist, deep state, elite, whatever you might want to call them sprew out. Forget Kids driving. They will have robots and the Terminator movie will become a reality !. I would like Ms Chao to ride with a driver for 3 days and then report back to us. God Bless all
Ms Chao needs to ride with 1 of her 18-20yr olds for a week, if they survive at all it would be educational
She is married to the Senate Majority Leader, not a member of the House of Representatives…
I think that’s A GREAT IDEA!… it’s really a shame that it won’t happen, But still a great idea!
She,married chicken neck, another lil dick big mouth a hole
O boy! What are They thinking? O right they don’t!!!!!
All industries are experiencing shortage of qualified workers. Under 21 drivers are part of the solution(not the only one)including all the other issues (driver pay HOS ,training, good equipment. Home time, parking). Me: retired 35 years over road experience. Keep and open mind!!
I drove a truck for 30 years . I got out of it because I make less now than I did 20 years ago.
The problem is not with letting the kiddies drive the trucks. the problem is when the trucking industry learned how to make additional money by selling old beat-up trucks on a lease purchase to people with little or no experience. So now we have thousands of inept owner-operators driving POS trucks taking freight for $0.75 a mile because they think they are building a business. Why would a trucking company want to pay you top wages when they can hire an idiot with a fifteen-year-old Freightliner on its last leg for next to nothing?
Couldn’t have said it better myself Bird. Amazing the amount of 15 yr old fender-flapping-owner-op junk running up & down the roads. I65 between Chitcago & Indy is one after another blazing by, tailgating the truck in front of them whose already running 70 mph, with a company name on the side in magic marker spelled out like an alphabet soup name w/ some name you can’t even pronounce. One after another. Oh, and no working turn signals!
I’ll watch from afar now that I got off the road, can sleep in my own bed, don’t have to stress about trying to find a safe place to park when my clock is running down, don’t have to wait an hour+ to take a shower, park next to some fender-flapping oil spewing piece of junk who has to leave his truck idling all night when its 50 degrees outside so I can’t crack my windows cause of his exhaust fumes. Then gets up, steps out of his truck to whizz, or tosses his piss bottle out the window and off he goes. Doesn’t even walk around his rig. Lazy losers, industry is now loaded with them. Long gone are the good ole days of trucking when there was quality equipment & quality drivers.
Ok you can’t be serious, with what the driving schools produce at the age limit now you really think under 21 is going to fix the problem? Thank you. I’m sure to see more of a larger scale of catastrophe than I do now.
Great as if we didn’t have enough bad drivers on the road now. As if we don’t get lousy enough miles now. We don’t have a driver shortage. We have a respect shortage. Lack or respect from shippers, receivers, officials, and the general public. The driver involved in that huge accident on 70, was too young, scared and I’ll prepared, to handle the situation that arose. Dropping the age requirement will definitely result in more of these types if incidents. If we got respect from shippers and receivers, if they all worked to get us in and out in reasonable time there would be no driver shortage. Eliminated completely, by the hours we could save sitting. Wish someone would address that. It keeps getting worse the more it goes on ignored. No bathrooms not enough workers to load, and unload us, but you think adding drivers is a solution. Sorry but I dont understand how simple math escapes our leaders. Pitiful.
Driving a semi truck is the new jail cell. Think about it for sometime and see the bigger picture here. Read these comment, follow trends 5 years forward, present & then 5 years ahead. It’s all population control and manipulation.
100% truth right there. Deven spot on bub! With HOS, ELDS, team driving cell mates, DM prison guards, damn near no shower meal time. It’s mental abusive these Days. All these prison shows & everything’s all about control.
AMEN!! I left the industry because mind controlling manipulation from these carriers terrible traffic times and travel conditions just went to hell past 15 years. I drove a truck for 35 years.. My wife threatened divorce if I didn’t break out of the interstate system. LOL! I said hell no babe I’m breaking out of solitary confinement. Still married but if I stayed out I would have be left & family broken. It’s a shame things are this way.
As most owners know and OOIDA has been saying all along, there is not a driver shortage. In fact, there are too many drivers which is why, as one post points out, the rates have been tanking all year. Some are so desperate to get a load that they keep accepting loads at low rates and continue driving the rates down while fuel, insurance, truck prices and repairs etc keep going up. Adding more drivers just drives the rates even lower which is what the mega carriers want…along with ELDs (which they got) and speed governors which they continue to try to get. The ultimate goal is to eliminate the O/O and small fleets to reduce the competition. Then they can fill their empty trucks with those desperate out of work owners and pay the same low rates they’ve been paying for years.
Don’t know a whole lot of vets who are 18, 19 20
??????
You’re a vet if you’ve served more than 180 days on active duty. It’s possible for someone who enters at 18 to be discharged early for whatever reason.
NOT a VET! Vets are combat Veterans, NOT 18 year old children!
Old Trucker, WTF are you babblin bout son! Thank goodness the Greatest Generation wasn’t 17, 18, 19 yr. old CHILDREN or else Europe may be speaking kraut still. PROPERLY TRAIN those 18 yr olds 6 months before tossing them out into the REAL world and they’d do fine and NOT the fly by night *Guarantee’d license in 2-3 week truck training schools. Yeah yeah! Of course there’d be fender benders n all, it happens with experienced drivers. There wouldn’ t be an alleged shortage if the companies PAID PROPERLY for all miles driven and didn’t demand so much FREE TIME. If experienced drivers are making less now than 20 yrs. ago, it’s because they’re lousy, lazy drivers to begin with have screwy DMV records.
I was thinking 💭 the same thing.
I was separated from active military service at age 20.1 day after my b.d.
I was thinking the same thing.
DOT “isn’t examining the difference between military/non-military?
What are they “examining “? Most military personnel are taught to drive such vehicles, so you does that leave in category? One other thing an 80,000lb desk doesn’t seem like a very good examination area… In closing, I’d like to direct this to editor, writer, proofreader, whoever reads/types/gives the go ahead for these articles before publishing,please be careful referring to that age group as veterans,coming from someone who did 5 tours. Thanks for the read
Although I agree with others that there is no driver shortage, just a lack of pay, I’ve always said if someone’s old enough to die for this country they should have the ability to drink a beer, buy a handgun, and yes drive a semi.
I agree with the beer and handgun thing. But just because you are a vet doesn’t qualify you to put 80,000 pounds of potential killing steel on the road with your cell phone in your hand and your head full of pussy dreams. I remember how I was when I was 18. Hell, I was still that way in my early 30’s (sans the cell phones – because there WEREN’T any!)
If you’re 17, 18, 19 yrs. old and drive a FUEL TANKER to fuel helos, and planes, then you can dammed sure drive an 80k truck when you DC. And then WITH PROPER 6 MONTHS TRAINING in civy life and not just jump on in a run everything over. And we all KNOW some experienced drivers are worthless, wreckless, get out of my way, TAIL GATING *ssholes, with bad pathetic attitudes on the road and in truck stops.
God bless eveeyone ,but have you seen a untrained disaplined 19 year old try to stay awake when he has to sit in one place for to long.
If a person can fall asleep at home sitting uprite they shouldet be driving.
Im done i think.
To many single lane roads i have to drive on. Granted that alot of younger drivers will be fine and make a good living.
But theres alwats the (2) more that will probely kill some one.
I hope and pray not but this wont work.
The odds just got higer
Like the freight is not cheap enough to haul. Add more inexperienced drivers and bring the cost down more. Problem not solved no thank you Mrs. Chao. Get your CDL first Mrs. Choa then talk after reality hits home of being a professional driver.
Ive benn apart of this industry for 32 years. The shortage is real.
However bringing youger drivers into this is only going to make things worse. Bringing inexperienced drivers to these mega carriers who are screaming “shortage” will do nothing for the good experienced drivers already out here. All you’re going to do is create is competition and drive the already low wages even lower. If you the government really wants to fix the problem start holding these carriers accountable.
When rates spiked a couple years ago and the spot market was great who benefited “the company’s’ did.
Drivers are completely under valued
Long hours some are away for weeks and sometimes months from their families for what 60-70k a year.. trust me its not because they want to be, in most cases they have to be. Most local jobs pay hourly and on average 18.00 an hour.
In order to make 60-70k thats A LOT of hours. The government needs to get back into this industry and regulate rates like it once did a long time ago. Margins today are so slim a 1 truck owner operator will fail within the 1st year of business. Mega carriers regulate rates and it is what serves them. Start regulating rates and drivers pay.. where a driver can support their family instead of those drivers wondering where the next loaf of bread is coming from. Give them the opportunity to make a decent living not one where this week they make 1200 and next week the driver pisses someone off and the following week they made 300.00… if you truly want to fix the problem.. the problem is staring you in the face, someone needs to figure out not just bringing drivers into the industry but retaining them and keep them in the industry and I guarantee you it all falls back to money… these big sign on bonuses you see 20k 40k are smoke and mirrors the 2,000 dollars a week you see in regards to pay is also a joke. The company’s offering 40k sign on bonuses hold them to it.. make them pay it and not 500 here and 250 there.. oh you had an accident or blew a tire no more bonus for you..40k sign on bonus is just that. I decide to work for you i sign a contract for a period of time they pay me my bonus.
Start making them pay those big bonuses if you do you will see those bullshit bonus offers go away..
My rant is over.. but its all true
The big trick is being paid by the mile in the first place, instead of by the hour.
Companies are raising the pay and running you less miles.
They keep you running that way by creating the ILLUSION that you’re going to make a lot of money,
.52cpm means nothing if you only run 1700 miles a week, then next week 2600 then 3100, then back to 1800.
It’s all a big game to get as much work out of you for as little money as possible.
Nice new truck plant the illusion and drivers will run over their grand mother’s in a wheelchair chasing that illusion.
Set your cruise at #58 60 mph like I do and just watch the Rat Race to nowhere. Sometimes it’s really comical but sad at the same time.
It’s all about SAFETY ….. HAHAHAHA
Oh yes . . . SAFETY FIRST. 😂 What a joke ! People still believe that horses**t every time some gummint spokesperson spews out more nonsense about how dangerous trucks are. ANYBODY with more than a couple functioning brain cells can see who’s causing the wrecks on our roads, and it sure ain’t the trucks !
The trucks they drive in the military are not the same as we drive every day. Also I want to see 18 to 20 year olds that get up and go work every day without their parents or sergeant having to make them go
Idiots…once again individuals who have absolutely no right to make these kind of decisions are allowed to. I agree with the previous comment depicting the issues with pay, parking and so forth. Flooding the interstate system with “children” as tractor drivers is wrong, foolish.
18 year old veterans?????
i drove for 20 years. i am m mountian driver co.and mostly wy. in winter. alot of La.,etc. u need experience.alot my experience overshadows those sissy ice drivers. by the way that mine was shut down by debeers diamond
What will help fix everything if these companies stop stealing from drivers treat drivers with respect and stop lying so much. Do y’all come up with these sign on bonus then once the person come in is it really is entrapment because you don’t give what you say you’re going to do you put in a two weeks notice 3 weeks notice for your home time they still do not get you home on time to make a long conversation short give the drivers what they deserve, for an example detention time you said 3-4 hours for 25 to $30 then it takes 6 to 7 months before you get paid but if you late with a delivery they want to charge you $300 what kind of crap is that it’s not the drivers is the company and the government!!
I could not even finish reading this BS ,This will solve the driver shortage,lets just lower the standards for hiring there is a great idea.
If you read what the article said you can be a reservist. I do believe you can be a reservist at 18. I don’t agree with allowing 18-20 year olds get behind the wheel, hell, when I was driving there were some 21-50 year olds that should not have been behind the wheel
I was 18 when I got my first classified license in NH. I could only drive a truck intrastate but when I turned 21 I already had 3 years experience. I didn’t have any accjdents and spent the next 43 years running all 48. Glad to be retired now though.
Not being a math expert, military veterans between the ages of 18-20, you join at 18 serve at least 2 years most are 4 years. What does that make you when you get out? The exception would be a reservest
These companies and Insurance policy makers dont give Chit about safety. Companies need to pay experienced drivers more give us better hometime and let use train these young ass kids about Responsibility put the phone and Social media on hold while on the job. These babies aren’t ready for this type of Responsibility period!! Its like play Russian Roulette. These kibs and babies these day have to be on the Phoneb and Social media 80% of the day the other part is for partying getting laid eating and sleeping. Oh God forbib they party on a 34hr rest set and didn’t get proper sleep because sleep fatigue and Social Media =A nightmare on the Rd!!
I dare you to take a child from the age of 16-21 phone and Social Media away for 48hrs .
Watch the news they will go completely awall hurt you and anyone else around.
They are not ready for this type of Responsibility!!!
“These kibs and babies these day have to be on the Phoneb and Social media 80% of the day the other part is for partying getting laid eating and sleeping.”
If you say that all black people are drug dealers and murderers, then I won’t be surprised.
Funny thing is, these comments are all predictable. No parking, not enough money, too young, etc etc etc.
Enlist at 17, drives in the sandbox for 2 years, finished out the balance of their 3 yr and comes out at 20. FFS, let the kid drive a truck.
Supertrucker hates anyone not in their truck cab anyway. This’ll give them a whole new demographic to despise.
Sounds like a way to even pay drivers less than we already make. Flood the market with inexperienced drivers to force out the aging group that’s left. That’s our government!
It’s all about the money very simple
I read many of the ansewers of current driver’s, former drivers and retired driver’s like myself, it’s not going to stop the shortage of driver’s but put younger ones behind rigs loaded anywhere from hauling steel to hauling everyday needs on our nation’s roads and highways and put the lives of the motoring public in harm’s way, the issue many driver’s have and staying is the low wages, staying out 3-4 weeks at a time, big conglomerate companies seem to cut rates and drivers are the ones loosing out, raise the pay, to hourly pay and offer driver’s vacation time, sick leave time, and home time, and companies will have a driver who will perform better, and be reliable and want stay instead of hopping around from job to job
Well..I guess if their old enough to go die for this country, then they should be able to have the opportunity to be a truck driver.
It’s not about giving jobs to military veterans. They’re just being used to prove that younger drivers can be safe.
No one’s going to listen to what we have to say in till we go on strike period. Shut this country down one time and they won’t mess with us again
Wow how stupid 21 year olds cant make good decisions,,,now even younger,,,,prepaid for jacked up highways with way more accidents and higher insurance for all,,,,,typical stupidity like always because they dont wanna pay good drivers what there worth to keep them,,,,,bunch of idiots
The pilots program is tainted because army personnel is automatically more responsible than A civilian. What a crock of crap!
There is no driver shortage. ATA just came out with that false figure to push out the small owner operators.
I was the best driver in the world 44 years ago when I was 18 wasn’t everyone? The only sacrifice is the awareness of the real safety factors… You don’t know what you don’t know… You don’t know that you don’t know… You think you know but you really don’t… It takes TIME to know that you know and even then ya gotta be lucky… Wrap your brains around that and pass it on…
Drain the swamp. For years it’s been proven there is no shortage. The same B S from DC keeps happening year after year. Drain the swamp. Change the system
Guess what else ? The HOS have been delayed. The crooks in D C all gotta go.
Get ready for growing pain with this program. Public beware!
what a sick joke this will do nothing and most likely make shortage worse truck abandonment will sky rocket as these youngsters run for their lives from these mega carrier meat grinders.
Hmm..an increase in truck abandonment? That could be a lucrative side hustle rescuing big trucks that have been abandoned. Extra charge if there’s a load on it. Triple charge if it has to be delv to a union grocery warehouse.
Safety statistic are going to go through the ceiling and all you are going to hear from the government agencies is; we are working on Highway Safety and that is our main concern !! LMAO right
As far as military veterans go, some of them drove trucks as their job. I have no problem with that. INTRAstate drivers in a lot of states have been able to do this at age 18 for decades now, but the laws and insurance companies required that INTERstate drivers be over 25, for a good reason. Even back then, it was a known fact that the vast majority of very young people have more accidents, which always resulted in insurance premiums skyrocketing for the parents who added their kids to their insurance policies! As stated in previous posts, there is NO driver shortage. It’s a direct result of this just in time delivery horse hockey. Shippers want to ship at the last minute, and sometimes you end up sitting for a day or two while the consignee waits for the exact moment the product is needed. Years ago, they would order the products, then store them in rotating inventory until needed for whatever the product was going to be transformed.
These drivers they refer to can already drive 80,000 lb rigs down the road …. 10-20 have always been able to drive Intrastate, now they are just going to set them free Interstate.
Yes I know the big companies will take advantage and do a 2 week training (show em the answers on the test) 1 week of having to ride with a “Trainer” who has been on the road for 3 months and is an expert driver and cut em loose on the promise they will make lots of money.
There will be alot of avoidable killings on the road and this is the key to riches.
You see the lawyers make the laws that benefit themselves, now they will have plenty of big companies with deep pockets to sue for wrongful death.
Kill one industry so another can profit from it.
sorta like the state DOT making crap up as they go to make money.
In Troy Michigan, The City made up their own logbook laws so they can fine you $450-$1500 under those laws and not fed laws and rules, now they just sit back and rake in the cash.
*18-20
As Many people/drivers stated already, THERE IS NO DRIVER SHORTAGE” !!!!! PERIOD!!! Most of us are waiting on the truck stops waiting to get a load . I been doing this since 2009 and is just getting worse and worse ! Ms. Chao , open up a load board and look once for all how many loads are outthere and how many trucks are available and you will realize very soon that we need more freight and not more drivers. Like most of the crew said here what you beed to worry about is creating more parking spaces for truck drivers so we can park when our hours are up and not being waken up in the middle of the night by security or police to move the truck cause this is not zone to park. Also your eld sucks!!! I m more tired now with this eld then paper log cause now i m force to drive even if i m beat to death!! You are not doing anything in drivers favors but goverment how to fine us and take even this little money that we making from us . At the end you know that everything comes to an end and so this will this carrer! More and more truckers are getting out if this for all of this reeason cause is not wort it anymore , cheap paid loads, high insurance rates , hard to find decent drivers with clean record , high fuel prices, experience repairs , being away from family , etc. I would love you Ms Chao to go on a road with a driver for two or 3 weeks on the road ,eat shit and piss and sleep in a truck 24/7 and sleep with no apu with truck being shut off on 100 deg/f outside and then we can talk about everything else . Your reality is not kicking in yet and you are far from it . Your desicion is nothing but a nightmare and remeber next that you go to Walmart to buy yourself that noodle in the cup think about me maybe i delivered that to Walmart for you !
Stop saying there’s a shortage! It’s a pay problem!!! Who’s side are you folks on??? Here a simple solution that even an idiot can understand. Offer $200k a year to full time OTRs and voila! No shortage.
What s joke
There’s no driver shortage there’s a respect and pay shortage. There’s plenty of good drivers who left due to lack of good pay and respect. Treat us like the backbone of this country we are because without us the country will stand still.
I’m not so much concerned with their abilities to handle a big truck. However I am concerned of their maturity to handle situations with customers or other truck drivers or their supervisors. We are here to work and to act responsibly. As I said it’s their maturity level but I’m concerned with. Thank you.😎
I feel like this is a great idea, I’m 19 years of age and a great driver , I was at the top of my class in The Cdl course. It’s been hard finding a job because of the restrictions on my licenses. I hope they pass this law very soon, so I can get back to truck. Stay safe to all my other drivers ‼️
Lol, everyone’s at the top of their class. You have good spirit but don’t let them blow smoke in your face. It’s insurance fraud, billing fraud, theft by deception abuse of one’s right to the quality of life. Just be smart.
18 to 21 year old drivers?? Are you insane? They can’t even drive a car safely. You think they are going to do better with a 40 ton 75 foot truck? Get ready for a lot of accidents and dead bodies on the road way…..
A professional driver can’t be a young person who is on the phone with pussy on the mind , mix this with the drug problem we have in the country and you are going to see plenty of wrecks. As it is now ,you have non English speaking behind the wheel, they can’t even ask for help when making a delivery, This is bad
Amen that’s why I said jail cell on wheels.
This is going to be a disaster. An 18 year old barely know how to drive a car and now his gonna be eligible to drive an 18 wheeler, may God have mercy on our souls. Just pay drivers a fair wage and there won’t be a shortage.
There isn’t one anyways
Why would a ex military person would want to drive a dam truck.the government is so stupid smh
There is no driver shortage,only freight shortage, but they know that werry well.now freight is going to be even cheaper. Idiot’s
Wow,milennials(aka Good for nothing) and troubles are coming
Yeah
The math doesn’t add up
Join the military the day you turn 18 ,serve two years
Get discharged spend several weeks getting CDL and a job
You’re just a few weeks away from your 21st birthday
It’s my understanding that two years is the minimum service term
And anyone discharged in less time got booted out
I don’t see more than a handful of people per year even qualifying for this anyway
And under 21 people have been driving on the same roads with you anyway , they just can’t cross a state line
My son got hired a few months shy of 21 and after a few weeks with a trainer was driving solo doing local runs all over Georgia with a 48 foot flatbed
He’s now got his six months of being with a trainer and isnover 21 and will be allowed to drive their oversize super heavy haul (240,00lbs )team driver loads
Denver Co. need i say more ,….too young not enough experience raise pay to better then the 70,s company drivers least 1.00 an hour
Any professional driver, not to mention insurance adjusters, knows this is a terrible idea! Yeah let’s just give the most irresponsible/dangerous driver age on the road a license to operate an 80000 lb death train!!
Truck driving is me and my family’s life. However, if these kids are able to drive rigs on the road soon, I’m going to find work FAR away from the highway! And I think a lot of other drivers will as well!
Yup
Traducido por Google,Este gobierno ya no sabe que inventar,sin medir consecuencias,autorisar a conducir un semi a un joven de 18- 20 años hu, grave,muy grave,esos muchachos dejan la escuela,para cometer ,robos a mano Armadas,crímenes de todo tipo, bamos a ver que compañía de seguros lo recluta ,por que esa edad todos él que no tiene felonía, tiquet y muchos puntos en su DL, la mayoría de estos chicos fuman marihuana,no respetan a sus padres,ni las autoridades,esto creará un caos.
Good paying jobs, where? Most drivers earn less than minimum wage. McDonalds pays better.
Yup yup spot on, it’s all in the numbers.
Lol how many 18 – 20 year olds are there gonna be from the military?
They will be reservist. Not veterans.
Considering u have to be 18 to join the military in the first place.
This is just another ploy to get less experienced drivers at a cheaper pay rate.
So that big companies dont have to pay experienced drivers what they deserve.
With parental permission, a person 17 years of age can join the military.
There is no driver shortage never has been. After 35 yrs of driving I left (yes quit). To much intrusion by Gov. telling how we should drive. Always changing rules to suit them. As for drivers under 21 bad idea, there are some 18-21yr old that are responsible but very few. It is a new generation just look back at the times and past generations.
Here’s my 2 cents in everyone’s comments, my 16 year old has been my sidekick aka copilot in my truck since he was 5 years old. If a driver has had their kids in a truck and they want to drive let them with their parents for 2 years or so before they can go on their own! My son can bump a dock way better than me at times and I’ve been driving for 20+ years. Not all kids are the same and some of them are more mature than a lot of these adults out here today! I’m not saying put a license in every kids wallet but I’m saying it should be a case by case basis. I do agree that there is NO driver shortage, I ask that all these paper pushers in Washington ride with a driver for a week before sitting there thinking they know what is best for truckers (but we all know that will NEVER happen) I agree that they need to address parking first and foremost. I think it’s also funny how truckers go to Washington clog the streets with trucks and protest, but they do it on a weekend when Washington is basically closed. What does that do? Not a damn thing but waste fuel time and money, they need to do it everyday when they are working M-F. I can keep going but now it’s time for everyone’s comments now!
Right.
I need to open a trucking company that hires 18 year olds and pays them 8 cpm. Who is going to stop me?
Bumper cars
We dont have a shortage of tru k drivers we have a short6of truck stops and parking spots and they charge as high as 20.00 dollars to park . And the companies are getting cheap. Paying 31 cents a mile. That was money over 30 years ago.
The autonomous vehicles are coming, and when they do come for a while rates of pay will go up as it will take more technical ability to operate these type of vehicles in the beginning?
However as technologicial advancements take place in these systems, taking less educational & technical ability to operate .
Turning a good-paying job that increases pay with experience, into a minimum wage position that will be filled by yes 18 to 21 year olds straight out of school,
What is pushing the drive for the autonomous vehicles it’s not safety and convenience it’s money because with better automation comes less labor costs to the companies,
Yes granted this is still years away,
Will it make our lives more convenient? I Don’t Know!
What this will do is create a increase in poverty rate in society in general,, increasing unemployment of people that are not technically qualified to operate technical equipment.
Let’s face it there are a whole lot of people that barely make it through high School, and do not have the technical savvy it takes to learn operate technical type of stuff!
however you can teach them to drive trucks and forklifts and stuff like that, making them productive members of society able to support their families with a living wage and generally growing our economy and not burdening to charities & welfare / public assistance for the people in society that really need it.
Read the last line. Good paying jobs. I say kaka
There ain’t no truck driver shortage but there will be more accidents at 18 they haven’t even served in our military cause you can’t join until your 18 then you have join for 3 years minimum that puts you at 21 after you do your tour These people think we are stupid. Hell im a vet I join back in the early 80s when you could join at 17 I served for 9 years who do they think there fooling
There is no driver shortage. There is only a shortage of cheap labor for the ATA companies. This will help lower the cost of labor for the mega carriers. Plus it has a side benefit of causing more wrecks. How could more wrecks be a benefit you ask? Simple really, in order for the general motoring public to accept driverless trucks the ATA needs to pump up accident levels and get them seen by everyone on social media and the like. Once you have enough wrecks and fatalities the people will not only accept driverless trucks, but they will demand them. Welcome to a country ran by the corporations. What the money wants the money gets.
I’m not a trucker, but I can easily see the validity of these common sense comments. Raising wages and addressing the concerns of those actually occupying truck driving jobs is a no brainer. A strategy I don’t hear discussed, though is organization. In the past the only way to bring this kind of change to reality was unionization, organization, and often striking. Employers need to see an impact to their pocketbook before responding. Well?
Exactly what I’ve been saying for years but truck drivers won’t stand together like they used to you can’t get two drivers to agree that it’s sunny outside they’re going to disagree and they damn sure they’re parked her trucks most of them are scared so that ain’t going to happen but you’re right there needs to be a strike big-time At least a week.
Most people enter this industry flat broke and hungry; any and everything from All Walks Of Life; most leave worst off than they were when they started, some leave with the County Coroner in a Hearse.
It’s practically impossible to unionize such a giant mix bowl of fruits and nuts.
Great idea 💡, but it’ll never happen.
More accidents, more safety regulations, more tickets, higher insurance and less pay to the drivers.
This is total B.S. ! Children Don’t belong behind the wheel of a damned truck. PERIOD !
Yup yup misdemeanors and felonies coming left & right after they all get pull over, nabbed, especially with meth & heroin these days. Terrible.
The trucking industry has been constantly looking for ways to get around paying drivers more money. The Mexican pilot program allowing Mexican companies to deliver freight in border states, autonomous vehicles now this 18 year olds behind the wheel of a 80,000 lbs vehicle, insane!
Very Sad. Our great country is going in reverse with a blindfold on.
Their is more trucks than needs to be out here now. It’s these big trucking companies that don’t know how to manage their money that over buy’s trucks that have the problem. Celedon should be proof of that. Back when I started driving in 1989, the roads were safer. Maybe they should start limiting how many trucks should be on the road instead of seeing how many more trucks you can put on our already over populated Hi ways now.
From years of trying to make a good living from trucking and keep up with all the new regulations DOT is forever adding, the main issue I see is the lack of actual truck or freight experience people in DOT have. You want to fix trucking put some fleet mangers and owner operators on the board!!! Truckers are over regulated, under paid and the freight system is misunderstood
People left trucking because it doesn’t give them worthy ie they left their family,sacrifice everything.You find trucker driver are driving Uber/Lyft because there’s no money especially newcomers
And guess what even that’s worse those companies also steal like 40% of the income and then they go pay taxes. Drive around 80 hours a week making no money just float on by. That’s why my wife and I figured it out we’re all just prisoners. Bottom line truth.
And guess what even that’s worse those companies also steal like 40% of the income and then they go pay taxes. Drive around 80 hours a week making no money just float on by.
even that’s worse those companies also steal like 40% of the income and then they go pay taxes. Drive around 80 hours a week making no money just float on by.
Stupid people always have a stupid solution. There is money, parking and insurance shortage not drivers.
….and in other news, accident rate goes up 40%…
Im a truck driver and I can promise you this is a horribly bad idea. The accident rate will go up and it will give people more reason to resent the trucking industry.
Driving a truck looks easy to people who never did it, but I promise it is a difficult job that’s very dangerous which takes more skill than it seems. Tbh, I actually thought I was getting into a cushy job when I decided to go for it. Then reality hit. There are plenty of people who cant do it. 18 year olds arent responsible enough nor have the years of driving to do it in a safe manner.
This is just dumb and in a few years and hundreds of bodies later the powers that be will see this
It will only get worse it is Inevitable
I have 27 years and there’s no parking and there might be some responsible 18 year olds out there but I think this is a very bad idea!
They can’t even do a 45 or pull through now what makes them think they’re going to do it then
The trucking industry has lost its appeal.
👍👍
Most of you are only touching om the real problem here. 1) Senate or Congress is not going to do anything unless there is money for them to make involved. 2) I started driving in the 70’s, and trust me compaired to then things in most ares of trucking are better, but there are just as many things need fixed. 3) deregulation started this whole mess and allowed companies like JB, Schneider, Swift, and others to operate with cheaper rates to put most other companies and OO out of business. This needs to be changed and regs put back in place controlling all trucking companies. 4) break up or limit size of these larger companies to limit control of the industry to give everyone both OO and small companies equil chance. 5) NO ONE and I repeat NO ONE under age 25 should be allowed in a semi except for training because of irresponsibility. 6) truck driving schools need to be heavily regulated, students should be able to actually operate a semi before graduating, states need to go back to driver testing before getting license and that should include operation forward, backwards, turning, parking, etc. >> these are just some of the the things that need to be done.
I want to know how many 18-20 year old vets are running around out there?
Rules ate made by those that never drove a truck long enough to know squat. They make rules based upon statistics on paper.
When 18 to 21 year olds can’t hang with their homies or miss Christmas, they’ll drop like flies.
Yes
I see this going really bad for the industry. Maybe put more restrictions to prevent companies from abusing their drivers and their pay and maybe that can be a start of keeping some of the good ones we have. Stop taking shortcuts by opening the flood gates. Talk to our drivers and find out why they are leaving and try to establish a middle ground where all parties can be happy. I am a veteran and I still say that this is a very bad idea
New batch to take advantage of…Shame…
25 + don’t do pretrips y would an 18 – 21 yr old do them there lazier so there would be more accidents, but it says there looking for military 18-21 yr old so there still in service along with reservists, so general public 18 -21 yr old won’t be out there for a while it seems.
99% don’t even do pre-trips.. I asked one once if they ever did a post trip and they said they never heard of it
Government take over in trucking industry!!!!!!
We are prisoners, We’ve been lied to you since day one
There is no driver shortage. There is however a shortage of companies that pay decent, have decent benefits, and put safety 1st.
Drivers should be 25 or at least 21 with military service cause there will be more accidents and higher cost of insurance cause of inexperienced drivers out on the road
I’d love to know where they’re getting 18 year old to 20 year olds to do this. Most people I know in that age range just want to stay home, play video games and smoke weed.
How would you know that?
Bottom line it’s all about money. I’m a woman and have 20 years driving for a trucking company on a dedicated account .we turnover more drivers than fast food does burgers. They promise newbies $1500 a week they don’t have that kind of work. The new automatic only licenses have people trying to drive without a clue, relying on GPS can’t read maps or signs low clearance 12-6 means something sideswipes they don’t last a month but won’t pay us experienced drivers more to keep us. I don’t worry about my job they can’t do it and won’t keep it.
Well said
I think fmcsa should look at the shipping and receiving end the way drivers are held up for hours it would help with safety Hos and driver retention drivers already have to deal with a lot they don’t get compensated for!
Not one person actually has a CDL license that works in Fmcsa corporate office. Have a cdl there is pointless, nobody respects you if you have one In Fact you’re fired if you have a CDL
This is not good! I got my license at age 19. But wow the experience I had at that age was so lost I don’t even know how I made it through. I was in New Jersey and on my fist load I got stuck under a bridge, tore down a mental pole, stuck under a power line in a pizza hut parking lot and 2 guys had to hold the line up so I can back down a 1 way street almost killing an elderly in a Town Car just to get back to a main road. But ok I made it now been driving for nearly 30 years.
Bad idea putting 18 to 20 years of age out on the road and should be at least 25 cause they’re more mature to make better decisions
We’re all about to really find out why “Momma hated diesel so bad”!
There is no trucking shortage!!! The money for the loads is the only shortage..!!!
Hello to everyone it is true to what everyone is saying on this matter the government and transportation agency are full of BS they are only creating more problems for the industry so many companies are shutting down since 2018 because of insurance costs and now they are adding more problems by letting younger drivers to get behind the wheel of a 80000 pound truck compare to a 1500 to 2300v vehicle this kids can not be responsible except for having fun finding a way to get beer illegally an getting wasted smoking weed an racing cars on the street before age 21 even thru 24 you don’t think about the consequences or responsibilities you have of having a commercial license. That anything you do while driving a regular car with your commercial license if you get in an accident because you got drunk or you end up hurting someone you will probably never get to drive again or your license back.
They want 21 year old video game a loose with a eighty thousand pound truck do they know how stressful is to a truck wait until the first person cut them off in traffic are hanging out in the truck stop playing video game load late welcome to the world of new truck
Nah because they’ll be playing video games while they’re driving. Making Bill gates more money. Zuckerberg more money. Bezos more money.. Buffett more fuel money. List goes on and on. Everyone else makes nothing. There’s going to be revolt. Serious uproar is coming, people been saying it for years
Young teenagers without responsibilities at 18 dont give a sh.. about working what makes you think they’re going to drive.
18 year olds brain Aint fully developed yet ,if you don’t believe me go start up a company and hire 18 year olds. ,youll find out.
I know a couple of companies that hire 18 year olds… nothing wrong with them.
They want to make the supposed driver shortage status bigger by starting from 18 year old drivers .
So if they did a full 4 year tour in the military then they would be 20 years of age anyway, otherwise (outside of injury) they would most likely have been booted out of the service. So now we give them a multi ton rig?
hopefullly they can read, speak and write English
As the wife and mother of truckers, my experience is second-hand, at best. Unless you have a camera, if there’s an accident the trucker is going to bear the brunt of who’s at fault. Giving interstate driving privileges to 18-20 year olds is an accident waiting to happen. Most can barely handle a 4 wheeler responsibly!
As many others have said, there wouldn’t be a shortage of drivers if the Nationwide atmosphere was better suited to the realities a trucker lives. Imho, those making the rules should be CDL holders with recent OTR experience. If they had to live the life for a 2-4 consecutive weeks each year, in order to maintain their position, they might be a bit more motivated to enact reasonable laws and safeguards for everyone.
My wife said the same exact things she calls all us truckers prisoners
under 21- mature enough to haul butt at 70 mph with 80k lbs, go to war, buy a house- but not mature enough to have a beer. Only in the US
They’ll serve it to three-year sentence before they can have Hometime
In 1965 I was not allowed on the road until I was 25. Maybe that is not in effect now, but I think Greyhound had the right idea.
Dave S
Secretary of transportation Elaine Chao you and your administration has made a big mistake in your decision to allow 18 year olds to drive commercial vehicles. I’m very disappointed in you.
Let the government pay for their truck driving school ,then that will show if they have what it takes to drive a truck.We all started out at some age,and you need to be ready to take to the road,if not try burger king( same pay ,less stress).
They should pay us for everything… everything
Fix the rest areas and truck stops so drivers have a safe place to rest. Fix the companies whose dispatchers push new drivers to the last minute of their 11 hours, then penalise them for stopping on the off/on ramps. Fix the trainers who only have a few months more experience than the recruits, looking at you Swift. There is no need to lower the age to 18, there are plenty drivers out there already.
100% And they apparently need to fix the education system because all those degrees have no genius
Maybe that’s why some of these company are pushing all of the old timers out the door , young fresh driver less pay.
Well well well swift know hunt and all the mega carriers want the young ones because they will be exploited almost like slavery they won’t ask any questions the companies will just use them I wonder what our fearless leader Mr Trump have to say or was he and the Senate already paid lololol
this push has been going on long before Trump ever thought of running. This was being pushed under Clinton and W.
Hahahaha. We’ll be driving on the other side of the road because them. Safety precaution just go with the idiots… Doing the right thing is wrong
As had previously said by many, the basic problem are the companies, the employers! Second, most folks today would prefer to have an 8 hour job rather than a 12+ hour job.
Inmate lifestyle
Truck Drivers need to take back control. We need a driver strike nation wide……
Imagine 3 million drivers just quit all of a sudden the country would go into shock and be a heart attack in a week brain surgery in a month society would collapse
Watch out in the Shortage of Truck stops …their heading for You… And why isn’t that being addressed ?
Age doesn’t constitute maturity folks. I witnessed a O/O racking his jakes thru a truck stop at 0200 this morning. You all are just afraid of the young guns. Get over it. Stupidity is ageless. Accidents are that, accidents. They dont discriminate. Traing, true training and the younger folks will do fine. I do agree with the pay, parking, etc argument but the age thing, I do not. 28 years, accident free. Started on the farm, military, MANAGEMENT and then trucking.
Be honest, truck driving isnt going to attract 20 yr olds who are giving up on college. And driving 11 hours a day 7 days a week isnt enticing. Truck driving is a lonely life.
It’s a great life when the driver calls the shots and NO MICROMANAGING!
Scott, a least you know equipment and how to handle it. These new guys are coming from a car to the Big Rig.. And most schools don’t give you the real life experience.. Be Safe and and Thanks for Serving Our Country !
many differences between now and 20 years ago. back then you changed your own flat- not have mommy call AAA. Back then you could go without an air conditioner for a few days, now it is a temper tantrum if thermostat moves from 78.6. The most naive kid 20 years ago was still more ready for real world life than 90% of todays kids. You didnt come from the snowflake generation
Well well well swift know and jb hunt and all the mega carriers got what they want the young ones because they will be exploited almost like slavery they won’t ask any questions the companies will just use them I wonder what our fearless leader Mr Trump have to say or was he and the Senate already paid lololol
Raise the Pay Scale Go back to the Old Log Book Format (no electronic logs etc.) Gauranteed Quality Home Time. You would have no Shortage. Trucking used to be a Freedom Job the Feds took that all Away.Having Immature Basically kids Driving Eighty Thousand Pounds up and Down Americas highways is No Solution to The Driver Shortage (and they know it)…The Feds and Cheap Companies Are.
Also I was in Washington State a broker had called the place I was picking up from and the lady in the office told him 1500 dollars for a load to chino ca but we were only getting paid 12 or 13 hundred from the broker for the same load
It is very sad that the only way they feel to cure the driver shortage is to let experienced drivers get behind the wheel. More drivers on the road it’s not going to cure the parking problems that we have, is not going to help against the bias from police departments against truckers, it’s not going to fix some of the issues that we truckers deal with everyday. Truck drivers are not being fairly compensated for the time they spent away from home and for the importance of what we are doing. Stop having us get paid by the mile and pay us by the hour. We lose too many hours of driving time sitting at shippers waiting to be unloaded or loaded. Getting paid by the hour will go a long way in fixing the trucker shortage.
The problem is the Govt allow to many foreigners apply for no payback Grant’s and they haul cheap.
very sore subject- and they are putting citizens out of business
Yep and everything will get more expensive
Going to help thin out the population also.
🤣🤣🤣
The experience level of an 18 year old is that he has been driving for only two years. There is not enough experience or wisdom gained in 2 years to safely and knowingly navigate hazards on the road. There’s also potential hazards that are present that most only find out about either during or just missing an accident. Granted life is a learning lesson but not when other people’s lives are in the zone of being impacted by a inexperienced teenager. Bad idea. Bad.
Yeah, Im sure a bunch of 20 yr olds is going to love the otr lifestyle.
Management won’t though
Letting these younger American soldiers take these jobs will be a good thing and alot better and smarter then having immigrants that can’t speak, read, or write English behind the wheel. I have seen the non- drivers coming out of these training schools and we are in alot more danger on the roads with these students then with a younger veteran
Go drive now it’s scary as hell . I been driving over 40 years and it’s a rodeo out there now
Totally scary…
First off, there is no driver shortage. The big fleets have problems retaining drivers due to the fact, they don’t pay enough, they keep them from home a month or longer, and force them to run where they don’t want to go. Raise the pay, get the rookies home more often, and give them choices of runs and things may change.
I’ve being in Trucking over 30 yrs, I have seen nothing but a low grade of Drivers out there.. The New Generation has nothing but Technology on their mind.. Complete distraction from the job they are supposed to do.. That is watching every nook and cranny in front of them, especially when you have 30 – to 40 tons on your backside.. Good Luck with that decision.. insurance rates will surely go up !!!
Raymond, if a young person has nothing but technology on their mind, wouldn’t you think they would pursue a career in Information Technology?
Yes use to be fun driving a truck the government has put us in to a wall nobody want to drive a truck give us some flex and that will fix driver problem
Micromanagement is the devil in details
Absolutely.
Whoever has come up with this brainiac idea clearly has not driven a commercial vehicle before. The mindset of 18 to 20-year-old is not mature enough to handle a semi truck.
Some of the brain dead 45 year old OTR drivers I have come across over the years should not be allowed to be on a tricycle.
True however these kids these days are so high, so disrespectful, so hurtful they’ll kill someone not care at all.. it will be a video game to them
no one under 21 should be allowed to drive big rigs it’s like giving race car license to somebody hauling a hundred thousand pounds I don’t want to be on the road
What’s the big deal with this? I started driving tractors & trailers when I was 18 in 1958. A ten speed Autocar hauling gravel on a highway construction job in Northern Ontario. I was a uni student from Detroit on a summer job in Canada. I Got my chauffeurs license the same year and had my CDL pulled in 2014 because of questionable night vision problems. Fifty-four years of OTR and I never killed anyone. Some mature 18 or 19 year olds have more common sense in the loft than many of 45 year old OTRs I have met over the years.
Appreciate your time served but the truth is none of these kids are gonna last longer than 3 to 5 years
That is true. Although the mindset of people then and now is completely different.
I’m a veteran of 20 yrs active duty service; presently 25 yrs driving a truck under my belt. Military trained truck drivers will do well. Most drive in convoys with less than our combo size truck/trailer of 72 ft. So they will have to go thru some training. The discipline is there. I don’t believe these bodies of youngsters will be reckless. However, someone has to make sure PTSD veterans don’t get behind the wheels of a semi . The mind has a way of overreacting when one is alone on the road. Things happen that may trigger something the veteran experienced in the military that can set him/her off. I WOULDN’T put a HIGH SCHOOL graduate behind the wheel. Their carefree state of mind isn’t even ready for college! (there are exceptions to every rule, ofcourse) THE BIGGEST PROBLEM TO THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY HAS BEEN STATED MANY TIMES OVER; NOT ENOUGH PAY, NOT MANY SAFE PLACES TO PARK AND NOT GET MUGGED OR VISITED BY PROSTITUTES. Not having Officers of the Law help us out when we park whereever we can find a safe or designated area or not designated cause the E log is soon shutting us off…The people that make rules for truckers HAVE NEVER DRIVEN A TRUCK, HAVE NEVER HAD TO GO WITHOUT A DAILY BATH, OR A DECENT MEAL. THEY HAVEN’T BEEN SLEEP DEPRIVED, NOR HAVE THEY BEEN BEATEN UP ALONG THE WAY BY SOMEONE WHO WANTS YOUR LAST 50c IN YOUR POCKETS. NOR HAVE THEY HAD THE EMBARRASSING MOMENTS WHEN THEIR BODIES WANT A TOILET BUT ARE STUCK IN SOME PLACE DARK, ALONE WITH NO TOILETS AVAILABLE..THEY SEE THEMSELVES AS THE TRUCKERS’ BEST FRIEND. (MAKES ME WANT TO PUKE) God Bless all of u out there, fellow truckers.
Mila you are right thankyou for bringing that up .
Absolutely.
I do not agree with the age changing era , even as pilot program because of the uncertainty of the younger – drivers -thinking process. When I was 18 to 22, I thought that I was invisible, how wrong I was from the truth after couples life threatening car ‘s accidents. In reality,. I just do not understand. Why? Well,Money and power —nothing else. I guess? For real, it will not improve the trucking industries at all or shortage of drivers as they are calling it. My point is when it was the last time that you saw a rich a individual driving a big rig for living ; Maybe for leisure time. Or probably, never, :however, he might own a fleet of trucks or a big corporation. note ; that is what I see with my eyes wide- open toward the future of trucking. The government will open the flow – gates ( with the New rules age era changing -taking the vets age as support and platform to implement their plan because we all support our vets ,and we want the best for them , for it will not be a big outcry , and also they know that truckers are not united). Under the new age changing era and the government ‘s support ,some companies will take full advantages of the more vulnerables ( the youth) ;the younger generation of drivers , and then the necommers will provide the sacrifices ( long hours and roadways living, cheap rates , low pay, minimum benefits packages while they are waiting for experience to built , but also while experience takes hold ,the carnage’s on America ‘s roadways will be parts of the everyday news because inexperience is dangerous and kill people ,and more when adds the exuberant of youth with the adverts conditions of mother /natural , especially in the winter. I believe that this proposal will be robbing families of the young sons and daughters. But only times will tell how many coffins will be supporting thi plan. Moreover, the new age era will be saving all the rich companies / individuals million of dollars. The truth is that this plan is not flawless at all because it will be a no turning back as soon as impressmented , and it will be no more safe- guard against companies -greed and abuses ,. Remember Since the Regan’s era, the truckers’industries have never been the same, plan that we allowed it to happen.
It is in the history’s books / and movies : where ( individuals/drivers ) ; the more Vulnerable parts of the industries and society always , pays the heaviest price and sacrifices . Thanks
I’ve been out here 45 years as a truck driver starting off in 1974 I drove tanker for 40 of those years and I have not seen a significant raise in driver pay in the last 25 years there should not be a truck driver out here in that makes under $100,000 a year compared to the hours that we put in and under the rules and the. Qualifications that we were burdened with now we should be paid more competitive pay with other jobs that require the hours that we put in
As said many times before, there is no driver shortage. The biggest trucking companies want people to think there is, so that they can justify feeding at the Federal trough, for training students. Of course, putting teenagers and other green-horns behind the wheels of big-trucks will only cause more problems on the roads–as though we don’t have enough screwups out there.
There’s too many deaths and accidents from inexperienced young truck drivers just out of tractor trailer School this will just add to the number of them
There is no driver shortage. It’s fake news made up by the ATA to bring robots and 18 year olds out driving OTR. 18-20 year olds should be restricted on CDL B or local routes so they can build up experience. They should not go OTR until the age of 21 or 25.
You join the service at 18 do a three year tour get out at 21 .where if the time for siad person while in service too be in the industry pilot program unless there injured and released and if so there disability may not let them drive …ugh great thinking out of the box FMCSA..
As a former driver I see a big problem with this. I’ve seen young drivers panic due to lack of experience. 18 is not enough time driving a car let alone a Semi.
I believe this is gonna cause alot of deaths
What is the ratio between the licensed people with CDL and the drivers needed to fulfill the driver shortage?? the answer is right there are thousands of CDL drivers working in a different fields because after getting the license they find out that the transportation industry has cancer you name it low wages,electronic log book ,useless sensors all over the truck,useless DOT regulation,shipping-receiving treating the driver like trush ,the mafia called freight brokers and the list goes on and on.
Pay close attention to the wording. “Military veteran” I, my self, am an Army vet. And been driving a truck for 15 years. Let me tell you about most vets. We do things with little to no accommodation. They want people who have seen worse than trucking. The idea of at least there are no roadside bombs or no one is shooting at me. It’s not so bad. If your busy driving all the time then you have not time to go to the V.A. for the problems you have from war. So it makes the V.A. look better. I don’t tell anyone to become a trucker. I’m one war hardened sole and trucking only makes me meaner as the years go by. So my wife and family say. It don’t mean I’m not the best at my j.o.b. it just means I can take a punch. I this industry snowflake is the crap on your window at 75 mph. or what you think of dispatch. This is one thing! Filling seats before these kids find something better to do. Put the chains on them earlier. I don’t function well outside trucking, not a people person. It’s years of trucking and the Army I thank for that. The automatic trucks should’ve let you see this coming. You don’t even need to read and speak English anymore. Just saying.
There is no driver shortage only driver pay and no parking and living like a homeless. Driver shortage is brokers and shippers scam to drive the rates even more down. They just want to flood the trucking industry with so many driver so the driver can compete with each other to see who will haul the cheapest
If 18 yrs old can go fight in a war, what is the problem with training them correctly to operate a truck. We all been newbies at one point, correct training with the right company makes the difference between good and bad. Even drivers that been driving for years do some stupid things on the road too.
Well said!
This woman is a special kind of stupid, really, your gonna put kids out here with the congestion and idiots, your gonna have a lot of blood on your hands with this decision,bet that.
The geniuses in Washington keep finding new ways to ruin this industry if there was a real driver shortage why is there no where to park now and why don’t rates reflect a shortage of trucks, all lies to try and flood the industry with even more trucks and lower rates
Not safe the road is already full of inexperienced rookies and immigrants . No shortage of drivers just a shortage of pay
Fudge it! It’s all about the money$$ baby.
I have been driveing for 30 years I think the age should be 25 the last thing we need out on the roads are a lot of know it all and a lot more crashes don’t lower the age make it higher
Drivers made a higher rate per mile in the 70’s then they do now. Why not fix that problem first? How about expanding parking locations, or facilities? Why not get rid of long haul altogether? Use a short haul chain gang. People could be home more. Get to see their kids grow up.
I’ve got 5 years OTR. NO ACCIDENTS. But I’m not playing this low-ball game anymore. I’m done.
So instead of focusing on these mega carriers properly training the drivers out here they’re just going to throw more inexperienced kids behind the wheel, smh. I suppose we send the kids to Swift or CR England for training too.
This looks like ” Government for the Corporations by the Corporations” . The swamp isn’t getting drained just business as usual. The highways are dangerous enough right now. I saw a driver killed last week after he flipped his rig. The end result will be to drive the old and qualified drivers out of the business and make everything more dangerous.
Lowering the age only aids the company’s in keeping the wages low. As far as driving a truck and the stupid remarks that “anyone can do it.” Just shows your ignorance. There is a whole lot more. Bad road conditions in in climate weather. Putting up with people cutting the truck off and think nothing of it. This is self control on the truck drivers part. It’s long hours and hard work. Not to mention sacrifice. Not much social life. This kids whine if they don’t get things their way now. And you think they are going to miss a holiday at home when there is freight to be delivered the day after the holiday. This is just a small sample.
Lift the thc ban on commercial drivers, go to a mouth swab instead of a urine test. Just like the Canadian government did for their military personnel. Then you wouldn’t be losing good drivers because they like to smoke on their time off.
As long as there are idiots running the D.O.T. there will always be a “Driver Shortage”.
I gave up my c.d.l. in April after 38 years for the simple fact that I was tired of dealing with the B.S. of the d.o.t.. They should stick to pushing pencils and leave the driving to the professionals.
18-20 year olds can’t even drive a car responsibly, how can they drive a commercial vehicle?
If they think they are responsible enough to drive these trucks then they should think they responsible enough to go to bars so they should lower the drinking age to 18 and see how that works
I am just totally amazed that they would actually consider this.
Not all, but most under the age of 25 are still, how they say, wet behind the ears.
Far to many are irresponsible and childish, and now you want to trust them behind the wheel of a 70′, 80,000 lb vehicle.
This is disaster waiting to happen.
We already have enough steering wheel holders out here that exhibit a total lack of common sense, and the Liberal Government wants to compound the problem.
You treat your drivers better, pay your drivers a decent living, and then you’ll have qualified drivers begging to come to work.
There is not now nor has there ever been what our government calls a driver shortage.
The real problem is that there are plenty of qualified drivers available, there aren’t many companies willing to pay and treat their drivers like humans instead of commodities.
Companies are charging higher rates to move product, but their not passing on an equitable increase to the drivers.
They still wont drivers to work 70, 80, 90 hours a week and earn what drivers were making 30 years ago.
Then you have shippers not wanting to pay more, then cry when they cant find trucks to move their product.
Now they want to put kids on the road, making dirt cheap wages, while pocketing a fortune.
This has disaster written all over it.
The blood of those soon to be deceased innocent lives is on you now. To the driver’s who will certainly die I say YOUR SHIFT IS OVER RIP..
It’s 2019 companies charge like $3-$4 a mile, after 3-5years clean with a company, a driver should be $1 a mile. Better benefit packages would be nice but on near equal priority would be MORE PARKING SPACES. The parking shortage is worse than the driver shortage. Adding more drivers will make that issue worse and make more wrecks that lead to more stupid regulations.
I’m sure at least one of you peanut gallery geniuses will enlighten me
as to this…
-IF-
They’re going to start with ex-military first,
then how did these candidates get in&out of the military before they were 21…
let alone 18?
Did they sign up at 12?
Are these wash-outs or what?
They aren’t veterans if they didn’t finish a full term-
they’re rejects.
Some may be for health reasons but how does an 18yo become a “veteran”?
You can get in at 17 with a note from your parents but still-
How do you become a “veteran” by 18?
This transportation secretary must be being bought off. This makes no sense at all but then again look around at what we deal with out here now. What they’re doing is brainwashing them early, eventually the old salts out here will retire and then they’ll have total control of this industry too
I don’t think that 18 to 21 should be allowed to drive a truck.
Yep swift,cr England and alot of company’s are going to have more accidents than they can handle.
There is no driver shortage. Again…. THERE IS NO DRIVER SHORTAGE!!!
The industry is making that scenario up because it allows them to bring in new hires at a lower milage pay rate, and keep them there for a certain amount of time until they are either fired or forced to quit. Its a double win if those drivers are under a predatory debt contract. This industry is severely broken across the board. And no one is willing to have enough sense ethical awareness to collectively fix it.
Been 40 years,the modern day driver is a poor imation of the man he used to be.time to get a local job and retire. Harry
OTR drivers aka steering wheel holders are a dime a dozen. What we need are the highly specialized drivers needed for hauling fuel, flatbed, pneumatic tankers, chemicals etc. Anyone can hold the wheel in an automatic truck, drop and hook then plan out their next buffet stop.
That’s all we need is more truck drivers acting like they are driving cars cutting off otherr trucks we have enough inexperienced drivers on the road everybody has to be first especially if they are getting paid % that’s another thing even if ur paid hourly u still want to be first
This is NO DRIVER SHORTAGE. Any given day, pick a major shipping area” you got 500 loads available and you got 2000 empty trucks looking for loads in that area” where the Hell is Driver Shortage
So you want to play the truck driving game with 18 year olds now , it doesn’t matter the age no one will work and starve and play out these trucking games with you.. why do you want to ruin thier lives too it’s the same game..no pay ..oh that’s right you think they don’t know yet. There is no shortage of drivers stop lieing .. there is a shortage of cash.and no one is going to work for free..8 days a week for 300 dollars mabye 400..and restrictions on loads so that they can’t make good money..18 years old, can’t go home can’t have a wife no home no car work for free have no life with trucking kids..come on..never see your wife or dog or kids never eat out never have a weekend never have a holiday never do nothing but drive for us kids..we got you a 400 dollar check ready.no perdim no hold over money and we lie about everysingle thing just ask the older folks..and look at them don’t they look run down..
Some call it lowering driver pay, satisfying driver shortage, making money for veterans.
Understand this, to have goods delivered into my community by a veteran is a sign of crisis to come. An established army capable of carrying out an order to get supplies to an area(s) where we may not have smooth roads , carrying supplies where an owner operator would not take the load of much needed supplies to the destination because of not paying enough. Not the owner operator fault. But it helps to determine goods will arrive and not based on the drivers pay.
My biggest pet peeve is drivers holding up fuel islands. I know for certain if all drivers were consistent as I am, waiting on a fuel island spot would all but be unheard of. It’s not that you gotta rush. It’s just steady. No talking on cell phone at fuel island. No reading a map at fuel island. No checking oil at fuel island. No buying food while at fuel island. If your fuel card doesn’t work park in parking area, straighten it out then go to fuel island. It’s all just common sense. Its keeping everyone on schedule. Its keeping everyone out of each other’s hair. Simple as abc.
I have no problem with any of that, BUT TAKING 30min DOT BREAKS ON THE FUEL ⛽️ ISLAND, NOW WE HAVE A PROBLEM.
This is just a way to keep all us truckers in poverty. I’d like to see us all protest by parking the trucks for a 5 days, but I’ve only ever heard talk of protest. Everyone is afraid to not drive there trucks for 5 days. Let’s see them try and replace us all for 5 days. Would they use an 18 to 20 year olds to accomplish that, and would it even get the job done. Hmm…. Everyone is all talk,and complaining, but I never see, or hear of actions being followed through with. It only takes one match to start this fire drivers.
Where’s one going to make $100,000 a year as a company driver. The best I’ve ever seen is $62,000
The driver shortage is more or less a myth, the shortage culminates from the big 5 trucking companies under bidding freight then hiring sub standard drivers for pitiful pay rates to compensate for the low freight rates and most skilled drivers will not work for them need I say more?
I manage 3 different companies and I can see from experience that even now that grown men in there late 20s and early 30 that only have under 5 years otr experience, is like baby sitting a child. If they dont have tha maturity to handle the job with out having to hold there hand all the time how in the hell do they think someone 18 to 24 is going to be able to handle the job ? I feel like this will be some more major accidents waiting to happen , especially if they have to run all night long. NOT A SMART IDEA. Desk jockey putting in there 10 cents again.
Desk jockey you are! If you were ever out in the field you would know that if you got it you got it age doesn’t matter a lot of these foreigners have very poor driving skills and kill people now. Want to reduce truck accidents don’t purchase anything, then no need to use trucks live off the land. LOL Accidents will always happen and they are lower now than they have ever been…
if these companies would sell the trucks that dont have drivers problem solved no shortage. you go by the big companies and they have 100s of trucks just sitting there. if you dont have all the extra trucks then you have no shortage
Pay otr by the hour wouldn’t have a problem
It’s not a driver shortage, it’s driver retention issues, lack of pay, treated like garbage by employers, shippers, receivers, and dot, lack of parking, excessive regulations, and then not being able to see family all contribute to drivers quiting the industry. Most CDL student fail to even get a license, of those that make it, half will be gone in 2 to 6 months, then 75 percent of what’s left won’t make it to 3 years. I call that retention issues.
Coming out of the military it will seem like a good paying job smh
All you independent truckers need to stop complaining. It was you who put all good union jobs out of business by undercutting their pay. I work for buster brown and make 115,000 per year I have 6 weeks paid vacation per year, 6 paid sick days, 5 personal days. Company paid medical and dental. My pension is 4,400 per month. A company paid annuity, and work mon -fri. Home in my bed every night obey the speed limit not like all of you. Organize and demand what we are worth and stop selling each other out. In unity there is strength.
What does being a veteran have to do with it. Thats just the psycho governments little way of trying to smooth things over about their idiotic idea’s. You people are idiots.
When you hear a “driver shortage“ you should think “they wish they could pay truckers less“. Trucking is a job that can’t be shipped overseas and they can’t hire illegal immigrants to do it.
Is there any cargo that can’t be shipped because they can’t find a driver to drive it? No, I don’t think there is. For the right price, it will get there. So pay up and quit crying.
This is Mitch McConnell’s’ wife Elaine Chao, payoff to the ATA and Mega Carriers. There is only an oversupply of poorly paid and compensated driving positions and an overabundance of Trucks to Load Ratios in 2018. That is why the spot market and freight rates are down.
Rather than using free market forces to improve the issues of driver detention, pay, lack of training and over-regulation, Chao is using government intervention to change the decades old age requirements to help the mega carriers keep drivers in their Trucks and their stock market value from dropping. this will not improve safety, only the profit margins for Corporate Mega Carriers.
These comments are so accurate. Accident rate is high under 21. Lawyers want more cases to litigate. Feds want another reason to push for autonomous trucks. Feds want to hire more immigrants. Trucking companies want pay more low ppm rates. So who will win this bet???
18 year olds cant even pull their pants up.
Crazy drivers from all over the world can come here with very poor driving skills and get a CDL. (By the Way over 65% of our non-local drivers are from another country) Now we have a pilot program that only allows military to participate (so lets let our American young men and women that are non military get jobs too no reason that a woman or man 18 and over can’t drive trucks too) Our system is so flawed it’s incredible. So now why do we handicap our young generation like this allow them to go out there and get jobs to be part of our functioning society. No instead just send the to fast food places to be some big corporate slave, with a meaningless future. Allow all 18 and above to participate!!!
There aren’t going to be as many 18 to 21 year olds flooding the trucking industry looking to become an OTR driver as many think….these young kids have no idea what it’s like to be on the road and away from home 18 to 24 days at a time….the new generation doesn’t have the discipline as the old wise buck who seen more than a few pastures….then, unfortunately, the body count will rise to new heights, this will not take long because they are not disciplined enough to forego social media…not to mention being away from home, family and friends…LMAO as such an idiot idea from our so called leaders….
There is no driver shortage there’s too many foreigners driving trucks that can’t drive little more pay and less government regulation would make people want to maybe stay in this job and do it
Inexperienced / rude drivers are the main reason I am going to retire from the road.
ABSOLUTELY!
If a company has a driver shortage it’s because they suck. “Driver Shortage” is probably a hoax to drive down shipping cost because of a surplus of drivers sitting around waiting for a load and settling for cheap freight..
I just had some bozo 3hrs ago as I was coming through Indianapolis on 465 near exit #4 west bound behind me at a slow down because a truck was broken down in the middle Lane with 4ways on, Heavy traffic of course, I signal to go around in left lane first waiting for a car 🚘 to pass, Moron driving an old white Volvo with GREEN PRO LOGISTICS ON THE TRAILER jumps out from behind me to beat me from passing the broken down truck, he almost hit the back of my trailer as he sped up, guess what he does? Yep, he ran on the left shoulder and blasted past me looking like a total idiot in front of everybody on the interstate, it’s all on video too.
I’m willing to bet that an 18 or 20 yr old rookie would have stopped for 5 seconds while we both passed the broken down Semi, that’s how long it took, 5 Seconds.
With LOSERS like that on the road today, and you’ve all seen them, I say , WELCOME 18yr olds GLAD TO HAVE YOU.
That stupid stunt happens a lot, this wasn’t the first time.
KEEP IN MIND, these younger drivers aren’t being trained to be COWBOY RENEGADES THAT HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE.
Most are being well trained by real professional truck drivers who are being paid quite well to train them.
If I can find the right school and location, I’m thinking of becoming a STATE CERTIFIED Driver instructor myself !!!
Should go very well with my RETIREMENT.
Why do some comments have to Await Moderation?
Is that because of FREEDOM OF SPEECH?
18 yr olds and young future drivers, Rule Number 1, WARNING, DON’T EVER GET BROKE IN THIS INDUSTRY.
Always try to have at least $5000.00 cash 💵 on hand and maintain $20 to $30000.00 dollars in your bank account at all times, don’t spend it at Truckstop’s buying garbage, or the casinos 🎰 or give it the people that always seem to run out of gas ⛽️ at the gas station.
Survey says……..
There is no driver shortage. When all the USA gives the jobs to other countries we have no jobs for us. Now the young whipper snappers better not be from other countries we will really regret it . But there’s a good side Insurance companies will love it. And safety trainers. Perhaps their giving the fine youngsters a chance before all the trucks become driverless due to the majority of youngsters and their crashes. So prove us oldies wrong kids do our job.
Perhaps they will come in crews each learning a job for 1 week taking turns. You know on the job training being transferred a week later to a new learning skill.
Where’s all those 26 ton driverless 3 mph trucks with the remote control guy behind the desk?
Amazon is training young drivers.. Putting them out on the road fresh from CDL School without Trainers in the cab! The pay is the lowest possible. [But, these new drivers have no idea what pay and compensation they should be receiving.] They no nothing about real trucking. The additional Amazon training they receive is a joke. They are an accident just waiting to happen.
Now I can see under 21 drivers if they drove for the millitary.
They at least get some kind of training and if they screw up in that training someone can scream at them without the fear of some crybaby running home to mommy.
The shortage is not in drivers. There are over 11,000 recorded truck drivers. However there is a shortage in training and experience. A shortage in English speaking drivers who do not read English and causing accidents. Also there is a shortage of drivers who drive safely, with a cell phone in hand. With all that said, I don’t think 18 year olds should be driving rigs on the Interstates. Those who want to say 18 year olds are going to war are right, but they are trained to fight wars with weapons not big rigs. Before putting more trucks on the road why not make more parking lots? There is a real shortage with parking. Have a safe ride.
I agree Roni if those companies wouldn’t have 100 s of unused trucks in their lots . Well there are many reasons and we don’t all get home nightly .somewhere down the road home is but a memory we’ve tucked away .
I hope these companies that hire the youngster have plenty of law suit money. I’ve never meet a youngster who does t like to spend all their money at once. How will they eat or pay for anything? HELLO MOM ? DAD ?
There they go again….under 21? Are you crazy? This is an 80,000 pound vehicle. You won’t let insert 21 drink because why? They’re not mature. What makes anyone believe they have the respect and sense to handle such responsibilities driving a commercial vehicle. My family and kids drive on public roads to and I don’t want that young of driver behind an 80k vehicle. I totality agree with one comment, no less that 25 yrs of age, improve roads, parking and hours of service. Its working conditions that’s the problem. Again Washinton……wheres the common sense!?
E logs should be Optional. Most of these problems would go away because we would nt be FORCED OR CONTROLLED into making bad decisions by a stupid device.
The government doesn’t want to give up E logs because it’s their control panel and every spoke on the wheel centers around elogs. It’s like a wheel on a wagon. .
If SAFTY WAS THEIR # 1 PRIORITY WE D BE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. But everything they ve done has not been for safety, only control and stupid actions. Let us make our own decisions like it used to be
BECAUSE IN REALITY THE DEATH RATE WAS LOW BEFORE THE GOVERNMENT GOT INVOLVED. THEY LL BUYING TIME BECAUSE IF THEY CAN STRETCH THIS OUT UNTIL THEIR RECESS IN AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER. THAT MEANS WE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR.
UNTIL THEN YOU CAN BET YOUR BOTTOM DALLOR THE DEATH RATE WILL CONTINUE TO RISE AS LONG AS THEY’LL AT THE WHEEL.
ITS A BATTLE THEY WONT WIN. BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO DO DRIVE THE WAY THEY WANT TO.