The following is the second part of a multi-part series that addresses the issues surrounding attracting younger drivers. The first part of the series, focused on attracting students to the industry ahead of high school graduation, can be found here. The final piece of the series will include input from experts on how trucking companies can use technology to attract younger generations to a career in trucking.
Shuie Yankelewitz said he can feel the steering wheel of his new car pulling him back to the center of the lane if he accidentally veers off.
That – along with things like active braking, collision mitigation systems and dash cameras – is the type of technology more and more motor carriers are implementing in their trucks to improve driver safety. And it’s what many insurance providers are requiring in order to insure certain drivers like those under 21 years of age.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is working on a pilot program to allow 18-, 19- and 20-year-old drivers to operate commercial motor vehicles in interstate commerce, creating regulatory pathways for the conversation about insuring those drivers to come up. The pilot is part of larger efforts to close the gap between new drivers and aging drivers that are leaving the trucking industry faster than they can be replaced, creating a severe driver shortage in the U.S. that is having a significant impact on the economy.
With a shortage of more than 80,000 drivers that is expected to continue to grow rapidly, trucking companies are looking to regulatory changes – making the driver interstate driver age 18 rather than 21 – to help bridge that gap.
But a major roadblock stands in the way: insurance.
And Yankelewitz, chief operating officer of Central Analysis Bureau (CAB), said that regulatory change isn’t likely to be very effective in reducing the driver shortage.
