FMCSA opens comment period on under-21 truck drivers
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has opened a public comment period on the American Trucking Associations’ request that the fleets that participated in a pilot program be allowed to continue onboarding truck drivers under the age of 21.
Under federal law, commercial drivers must be 21 years old to move interstate freight, although drivers aged 18 to 20 may operate intrastate.
The Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot (SDAP) ended in November after three years. ATA is requesting from FMCSA a five-year exemption from minimum age requirements for drivers on behalf of motor carriers that participated in SDAP.
ATA pointed to “positive safety outcomes, including millions of miles driven by program participants without reportable crashes,” according to FMCSA’s notice. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association has previously opposed the pilot program and has urged FMCSA to reject any exemption.
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