Poll shows Americans opposed to reducing age requirements for CDLs

April 21, 2022

Ryan Witkowski

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With continued efforts to curtail supply chain disruptions, a number of countermeasures have been suggested. However, new data indicates that Americans aren’t on board with some of the proposed solutions.

One such solution would be to reduce the required age to obtain a commercial driver’s license.

A recent News Nation poll of 1,000 registered voters found around 71% of those polled were opposed to the idea of reducing the required age from 18 to 16 for intrastate commerce. Nearly half of those responses said they were strongly opposed to the idea.

Currently, CDL holders under the age of 21 are prohibited from interstate operations. The wheels are already in motion to see that age reduced.

On Jan. 14, the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration announced the establishment of the Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program. Under the pilot program, employers will be allowed to establish apprenticeship programs that would allow 18-, 19- and 20-year-old drivers with CDLs to operate interstate commerce.

Industry opposition to reducing age requirements

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers has adamantly opposed lowering the required age to operate a commercial vehicle interstate. In a May 2019 statement, the Association stated that doing so would undermine FMCSA’s goal of improving roadway safety.

“If highway safety is the priority, the age should go up, not down,” OOIDA President Todd Spencer said.

Some within the industry have expressed concern over the true intentions and possible outcomes of reducing the age minimums. According to Spencer, efforts to improve driver retention would have a far greater impact than lowering age requirements.

“Rather than developing ways to allow more teenagers behind the wheel of commercial trucks, the federal government should be taking steps to reverse the incessantly high driver turnover rate, which remains above 90% among large truckload carriers,” Spencer said. “Efforts should focus on improving the industry instead of trying to hire more cheap labor.”

In an April 2018 letter of opposition to the proposed DRIVE-Safe Act, OOIDA joined 13 other organizations in opposing proposed legislation that would reduce the minimum age to drive interstate commerce.

“Younger drivers both lack overall experience and are less safe behind the wheel than their older counterparts.” the coalition’s letter read. “In fact, (commercial motor vehicle) drivers under the age of 19 are four times more likely to be involved in fatal crashes, and CMV drivers who are 19-20 years of age are six times more likely to be involved in fatal crashes. Research has shown that most drivers under the age of 21 lack the general maturity, skill and judgment that is necessary in handling CMVs, while other studies have shown that the prefrontal cortex – the portion of the brain responsible for complex cognitive behavior and decision making – does not fully develop until a person is in their mid-20s.”

Autonomous trucking

Another data point of note was a majority opposition towards the use of autonomous trucks. Sixty-five percent of those polled said they would feel at least somewhat unsafe on the road with autonomous trucks.

Age may play a factor when it comes to a person’s comfort level with autonomous trucks. Among those polled, 53% of responses from individuals ages 18-34 said they would feel at least somewhat safe with self-driving trucks. That number was just 20% for those 55 and older. LL

 

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