Teenagers may quickly be behind the wheel of huge rigs via a brand new driver program supposed to assist ease the nation's provide chain woes.
The pilot program was included within the bipartisan infrastructure regulation handed by Congress in November 2021. The laws requires the Federal Motor Provider Security Administration (FMCSA) to determine an apprenticeship program for 18-, 19- and 20-year-old drivers to function business vans in interstate commerce.
At the moment, solely folks over 21 are allowed to drive massive rigs throughout state traces.
As soon as this system is carried out, the FMCSA will publish hyperlinks on its web site to the appliance types and different info for these thinking about collaborating.
Deaths and truck crashes have elevated over the previous decade, and the Biden administration was lately questioned on the protection of this system.
"The rationale this was included within the bipartisan infrastructure act is as a result of we have to handle the scarcity of drivers, which is impacting, in fact, the transferring of products after which the price of items on the cabinets," press secretary Jen Psaki mentioned Wednesday. "However we're approaching this and making certain it is carried out in a means that units a excessive bar for security and high quality."
Psaki added that every one members in this system shall be educated on vans with cameras, automated emergency brakes and pace limiters.
"We need to be certain that it is as secure as attainable whereas additionally addressing the necessity to have extra drivers in order that we are able to transfer extra items and decrease the associated fee for People throughout the nation," Psaki mentioned.
The nation's provide chain issues have been exacerbated by a scarcity of greater than 80,000 truck drivers. Greater than 70 % of products within the nation are shipped by truck.
Final month, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris introduced a "Trucking Motion Plan" to get extra drivers on the highway and ease workforce challenges—comparable to excessive turnover charges and an growing older workforce—which have been made worse by the coronavirus pandemic.
"A stronger trucking workforce is one the place trucking jobs are good, secure and secure—jobs that employers can appeal to a brand new era of drivers into whereas retaining present drivers to ship for purchasers and develop their companies," the White Home mentioned on the time.
The American Trucking Associations, the trucking business's largest nationwide commerce affiliation, advised Newsweek it helps the apprenticeship program as a result of "it dramatically raises security and coaching requirements above at present's bar."
"At the moment, 49 states and the District of Columbia already concern [commercial driver's licenses] to drivers underneath the age of 21, however they're artificially restricted to driving solely of their house territory," mentioned Nick Geale, the group's vp of workforce coverage.
"This bipartisan program will—with unprecedented coaching and expertise necessities to enhance security for everybody—give a small variety of these already licensed youthful People the appropriate to maneuver items from state to state," he added. "Removed from hurting security, this program will elevate the bar for security far above and past what's at present required."
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