Under-21 interstate drivers a ‘drop in the bucket’ in driver shortage equation

A provision in the new $1.2 trillion infrastructure law contains an apprentice program that would allow 3,000 or so under-21 truck drivers to be employed in interstate commerce.

But trucking officials and executives say that is hardly enough to make a dent in the nationwide truck driver shortage. American Trucking Associations (ATA) estimated recently that the nation is 80,000 short of full employment in truck drivers—a shortage ATA predicts could hit 150,000 if conditions don’t change by 2030.

“Three-thousand drivers is a drop in the bucket,” Randy Mullett, veteran transportation consultant and former government relations executive with Con-way and XPO Logistics. “But at least it is headed in the right direction.”

As it stands, in 48 of 50 states you can drive a tractor-trailer at age 18 as long as you just haul intrastate freight and don’t cross the state line.

The under-21 pilot program follows what the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) earlier proposed. Now, 11 Republican senators led by Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley of Iowa are urging FMCSA to lower the legal interstate driving age for Commercial Driver License (CDL) holders to 18 to help alleviate the industry’s driver shortage. It is called the Drive Safe Act, which also has 30 co-sponsors.

Other senators signing onto the letter include Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Kevin Cramer (R-N. D.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), and Steve Daines (R-Mont.).

The 11 senators sent a letter to FMCSA Deputy Administrator Meera Joshi on Nov. 3 noting that the driver shortage coupled with supply chain issues are hurting the U.S. economy.

There are a lot of people pushing for the Drive Safe Act on Capitol Hill. Whether it passes the full Senate and House is an open question in a Congress facing numerous other challenges before it recesses for the holidays.

If nothing is done, the senators warned, this “inaction to grow America’s pool of truck drivers threatens to drive up shipping expenses, prolong delays and burden already-strained consumers with additional costs.”

The senators said allowing 18-to-20-year-old CDL holders to drive interstate would “get American goods and services moving again.”

These 11 senators are seeking to codify what began as a small apprenticeship program pilot included in the Drive-Safe Act.

The International Food Distributors Association (IFDA), which represents foodservice haulers, is backing the push for more under-21 truck drivers.

“Investing in America’s future is critical for the foodservice distribution industry, and modernizing our infrastructure for 21st-century commerce would help the supply chain more efficiently move goods and materials to America’s foodservice operators and restaurants across the country,” said Mark S. Allen, president and CEO of IFDA. “We are particularly pleased to see the inclusion of the Drive-Safe Act pilot program.”

The 11 senators are warning that retiring drivers exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic are having “severe consequences” in an already delicate supply chain.

“While American truckers do their part to help America recover from this devastating pandemic, the FMCSA should strongly consider allowing persons 18 years of age and older to operate commercial vehicles in interstate commerce,” the senators wrote.

The senators say driving a truck is a useful alternative to gaining entry to the middle class instead of an expensive four-year degree. Trucking officials have long claimed the three-year gap between high school graduation and the eligible age for interstate trucking prevents the industry from attracting many potentially solid drivers.

“It should be our policy to aid and encourage these capable workers,”
 the 11 senators said in their letter to FMCSA’s Joshi. ‘We hope that under your leadership, this necessary reform will be made.”

ATA recently reported a driver shortage at just over 80,000—80,123 to be exact—for this year. But ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello recently warned that if trends don’t change by 2030, the industry will be short more than 150,000 drivers.

The shortage is due to demographics, a wave of COVID-inspired retirements, low pay and tighter driver restrictions.

As of October, 75,000 drivers are in prohibited status in the federal Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse that ATA backed on safety grounds. As many as 55,000 of those drivers have yet to begin the return-to-duty process. Some drivers also have left the industry or retired early because of the pandemic. 

“The rule is not just that they cannot cross the state line, but they also cannot haul interstate freight,” Mullett explained. So theoretically an LTL carrier that has a facility in Dallas cannot have their local pickup drivers cross a state line or haul the freight because it came from out of state and it is interstate freight.

Trucking officials noted that more trucking miles run intrastate than interstate when you count beer and bread-type local delivery trucks. Those under-18 eligible drivers can drive 70% of the miles, they just cannot cross state lines or haul interstate freight.

The FMCSA’s Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee (MCSAC) met Dec. 6-7 in a virtual meeting to discuss workforce skills for the trucking industry and identify gaps, opportunities and potential best practices for meeting future workforce needs and driver retention in trucking.

Editor's Note: Group News Editor Jeff Berman contributed to this article.