New Bill Allows 18-year-old Truck Drivers

A new federal bill has been introduced, that recognizes commercial drivers as young as 18. The bill has been heavilly applauded by the The American Trucking Associations (ATA). Up until the bill, the age limit for truck drivers was 21.

The bill makes a lot of sense, since most states allow young people a commercial driver’s license at the age of 18, but are forbidden from moving goods between states until they reach the age of 21. Such bill will make way for drivers between the ages of 18 and 21 to earn the right to drive commercial trucks from coast to coast. The Developing Responsible Individuals for a Vibrant Economy Act (unofficially known as the DRIVE Safe Act) also receives further appreciation from the International Foodservice Distributors Association, which claim their sector is one of the big victims of the country’s driver shortage. The Act was presented by republicans Duncan Hunter of California and Trey Hollingsworth of Indiana.

Of course, the DRIVE Safe Act won’t just give permission for interstate commerce to anyone, no matter how unexperienced. Every “apprentice” needs to fulfill multiple requirements in order to earn the right to drive interstate. First, they should earn their Commercial Driver's License. Next, every Commercial Driver's License holder between the ages of 18 and 21 would still need to accumulate at least 400 hours of on-obligation time and 240 hours of driving time alongside an experienced driver. Without the completion of these tasks, the young driver will not be cleared for interstate commerce. Such training requires special trucks equipped with active braking collision mitigation systems and forward-facing video capture. Also, their speed should be limited below 105 km/h. During the training, the employer’s task is to make sure the apprentice reaches the needed level of competency in the different areas needed for safe truck driving, including backing, traffic laws, safety awareness, as well as tasks that are specific for the profession – logging hours, inspections, trip planning, navigation, etc. If the training is successful, the young truck driver will be allowed to operate over state lines. In exactly the same way as a trucker older than the age of 21.

As we’ve mentioned earlier, such bill makes a perfect sense, because it will open a lot of opportunities for the population between the ages of 18 and 21. The bill would give them access to a high-paying profession free of the debt burden that comes with a four-year degree. This is what the President and CEO of The American Trucking Associations (ATA) Chris Spear had to say regarding the new bill. He also said, that the bill will take a big part in strengthening the training programs for ensuring drivers’ safety and preparation – beyond the current requirements.

Mark Allen, president and CEO of from the International Foodservice Distributors Association thinks that the legislation will pave the way for new and young drivers to sustain a safe and efficient supply chain for more than one million restaurants and foodservice outlets in the USA.