U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Indiana) and Jon Tester (D-Montana) reintroduced on March 10 the Developing Responsible Individuals for a Vibrant Economy (DRIVE) Safe Act to address a driver shortage in the trucking industry and enhance safety training and job opportunities for young workers.
Along with the trucking industry, this also pertains to water well professionals who drive rigs and other large work vehicles across state lines.
Though 49 states and the District of Columbia allow individuals to obtain a commercial driver’s license (CDL) at the age 18, federal law currently prohibits those operators from moving goods from state to state until they are 21. The DRIVE Safe Act establishes an apprenticeship program that would allow for the legal operation of a commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce by CDL holders under the age of 21.
“Today, 18-year-olds can drive more than 200 miles from New Albany (Indiana) to Gary and back, but they aren’t allowed to drive two miles from New Albany to Louisville,” Young said. “The DRIVE Safe Act will eliminate this ridiculous regulation and in doing so address the driver shortage while providing new career opportunities for young Hoosiers.”
The apprenticeship training program would help ensure the drivers are trained beyond current standards while instituting rigorous safety standards and performance benchmarks. The apprenticeship program established by the DRIVE Safe Act would require young drivers to complete at least 400 hours of on-duty time and 240 hours of driving time with an experienced driver in the cab with them.
All trucks used for training would also have to be equipped with safety technology, including active braking collision mitigation systems, a video event capture system, and a speed governor set at 65 miles per hour or below.
U.S. Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), Angus King (I-Maine), Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Arizona) joined as original cosponsors of the bill.
U.S. Representative Trey Hollingsworth (R-Indiana) introduced a companion bill in the House of Representatives.
Click here to view the bill text.