New plans allow commercial truck drivers under the age of 21
The United States Department of Transportation and the United States Department of Labor have announced that they will take the next measures to increase access to trucking jobs across the country.
The DOT and DOL are striving to broaden the truck driving profession as a whole, including increasing positions to people under the age of 21 as part of the Biden-Harris Trucking Plan Of action, which was launched in December of last year.
Every year, 90 percent of truck drivers in certain areas of the industry change jobs. It is essential to ensure truck drivers get paid and treated decently is the proper thing to do, according to the U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and will assist with both attracting new truckers and keeping experienced people on the job.
The program, which is expected to begin within a few months, will allow young age group (under the age of 21) intrastate drivers and their carriers to enlist in a system that will require training and careful supervision for the new drivers to cross borders, as well as an experienced driver being in the vehicle with them during training.
People aged 18 to 20 will be able to drive commercial trucks
Under the Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program, people aged 18 to 20 (under the age of 21) will be able to drive commercial trucks across state boundaries while being closely monitored by their employers.
This age group (under the age of 21) can drive just inside state boundaries for now, but the proposal will extend to also include interstate driving.
As per a statement from the Federal Motor Safety Carrier Administration, all who satisfy safety and driving record criteria will earn a ‘K’ exemption on their license, allowing them to drive interstate commercially.
Truck driving is among the riskiest jobs in America
The sector’s outreach to younger groups is mostly motivated by the need to train and keep drivers in order to maintain roads safer.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, truck driving is among the riskiest jobs in America, with over 800 fatalities in 2019.
The Federal Motor Safety Carrier Administration will test motor carriers as part of the pilot program to determine whether it satisfies specified safety criteria.
As per the DOT, they will also collaborate with motor carriers who already have a good safety record to enroll in the program. Formal notification of safety requirements will be issued soon.
Other initiatives and task forces will be implemented by the Departments of Transportation and Labor in the future to help develop and broaden the business.