By Al Muskewitz
 
Chris Spear, president and CEO of the American Trucking Associations told lawmakers Tuesday something that seems a fundamental answer to the age-old question of solving the national driver shortage: Change the law.
 
It has to do with 18-21 year old drivers and the perception of their ability to navigate the nation’s interstate system. The example always cited here is a young driver in Tennessee can go from Bristol to Memphis on I-40, but is prohibited from going the extra mile across the Mississippi River into Arkansas.
 
Speaking at a hearing before the U.S. Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Transportation and Safety, Spear told lawmakers, “current law states currently permits an 18-year-old to drive a (Class 8 commercial vehicle) over 850 miles from San Diego to Crescent City, Cal., (and) over 830 miles from Brownsville to Perryton, Texas. However, 18-year-olds are prohibited from driving a truck from Providence, R.I., to Rehoboth, Mass. – a mere 10 miles.
 
“Given that 49 states and the District of Columbia have already determined that 18- to 20-year-old drivers do not inherently pose a significant safety risk to other intrastate motorists, it defies logic that these same 18- to 20-year-olds are legally unable to drive across state lines.”
 
Opponents of opening interstate commerce to younger truckers always point to the insurance issues, but Spear is advocating their acceptance into the system with adequate training.
 
“The heavily bipartisan DRIVE Safe Act would require 400 hours of apprenticeship training and safety technology,” Spear said. “Forty-eight states require none of this, making the DRIVE Safe Act a leap toward safety.”
 
The hearing was convened to further outline the industry’s top priorities and identifying steps Congress can take to enhance high safety, expand job opportunities in trucking and revitalize America’s infrastructure.
 
In terms of safety, Spear emphasized the dangers of speeding and distracted driving among the motoring public. He noted as recently as 2017, 72 percent of large truck crashes in multiple-vehicle crashes had no truck driver-related factors recorded. 

Al Muskewitz is Editor for Wright Media Corp.