By Al Muskewitz
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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.
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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.
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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.
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“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.â€
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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.
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“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.â€
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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.
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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.Â
Al Muskewitz is Editor for Wright Media Corp.
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