The DRIVE Safe Act, part of the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill President Joe Biden signed into law on Monday, has created a pathway for drivers under 21 years old to enter interstate trucking just as it's become more vital, and more profitable, than ever before.
Senator Angus King (I-Maine) on Wednesday held a call with reporters to discuss the finer points of the bill, which he described as a common sense piece of legislation that could quickly free up tens of thousands of drivers and help ease the country's supply chain crunch.
The bill establishes an apprenticeship program for young adults, already eligible to hold CDLs and operate Class 8 tractors, to simply cross state lines. King said that while he was initially reluctant to allow younger drivers into interstate long haul trucking, the arbitrary reality of state lines finally convinced him.
"Right now 18-year-olds can drive from Portland, Maine, to Kittering, Maine, which is longer than Portland to New York City," said King. "The 18-year-olds can drive in those contexts, but they can’t go across border."
King pointed to the program as a fast way to move the needle on inflation and persistent material shortages amid a historically tight freight market, but also a safe way to help drivers early in their careers.
"The program requires candidates to utilize industry-leading technology including: active braking collision mitigation systems, forward-facing event recording cameras, speed limiters set at 65 mph or less and [automated manual] transmissions. Candidates are required to successfully progress through two probationary driver periods – alongside an experienced driver – and demonstrate competency and proficiency behind-the wheel across 12 performance benchmarks," King's office said of the program. The program requires young drivers spend 240 hours supervised by an experienced driver and 400 hours driving over all.
King added that the program would be made available for drivers through their employers, so it's doubtful young owner-operators can opt in just yet.
