The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has denied a request by the Truckload Carriers Assn. (TCA) to conduct a pilot program that would enable certain drivers between the ages of 18 and 21
to operate commercial motor vehicles (in interstate commerce).
TCA had proposed a program that would screen candidate drivers, train them extensively at approved truck-driving schools, and provide an apprenticeship with an approved motor carrier until age 21.
The goal of the program was to explore a performance-based alternative to the blanket provision that all commercial motor vehicle drivers operating in interstate commerce must be at least 21 years old. In its petition, TCA said, "the right student with the right training, and working for the right employer" could be a safe driver.
The organization also noted that lowering of the 21-year minimum age of drivers would address the shortage of drivers in the trucking industry and allow the industry to appeal more readily to individuals as they leave high school and select a career.
FMCSA published a notice requesting public comment on the petition in February of 2001. It received 1,634 comments –- more than 90% of which opposed the program. The most common objection was that younger drivers don’t have the level of maturity or the driving experience necessary to operate a commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce.
The agency noted, however, that little data was offered to support either opposing or favorable comments. Frequently, it said, positions or arguments were based on media coverage (radio, television or magazine) of the proposal, and did not discuss any specific terms of the pilot outlined in the notice. Many commenters did not discuss specific aspects of the TCA proposal designed to minimize the risks of the pilot program, such as screening of applicant-drivers, extensive training and the oversight and mentoring of pilot drivers by sponsoring motor carriers. FMCSA also noted that very few commenters answered any of the specific questions that the agency posed in the notice. Many commenters simply stated their belief that it was unsafe to permit any individual under the age of 21 to operate a CMV under any conditions.
Comments supported by data came from a variety of sources, including insurance associations, safety organizations, trucking associations, trucking companies, truck driving schools and state agencies. Most of the insurance industry organizations that responded to the notice were opposed to the pilot. Opposition in this group centered upon studies indicating that drivers under age 25 have a markedly higher crash risk than older drivers, and upon the contention that "driver training" has been shown to have little effect in reducing the crash risk. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said, "there is much research and it unequivocally shows that young truck drivers have markedly higher crash risks than older truck drivers."
Safety advocacy organizations that commented all said they believed that the pilot program was not designed to ensure that the requisite level of safety would be maintained if younger drivers were permitted to operate CMVs in interstate commerce. The Advocates for Highway and Automobile Safety said the proposed program "defies prevailing research findings of long standing," and noted that so studies assessing the value of young [CMV] driver training programs have demonstrated a sustained beneficial effect in the area of crash or accident rates among young drivers. In fact, the opposite can be demonstrated--higher crash and accident rates among trained youth, who may become overconfident and more likely to take risks.
Most of the national trade or trucking associations that commented were in favor of a pilot program. The American Trucking Associations noted that the pilot program provided preparation and training that far exceeded that which beginning CMV drivers receive today. The joint statement of the American Automobile Assn., the American Assn. of Motor Vehicle Administrators, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, and the National Assn. of Governor's Highway Safety Representatives advised caution, but stated that "the high crash rates of younger (CMV) drivers can be overcome by effective training, real-world driving experience, and mentoring."
Most of the state trucking associations that commented emphasized the fact that 48 states currently allow drivers under the age of 21 to operate CMVs in intrastate commerce, and many of these allow individuals as young as 18 years of age to operate commercial motor vehicles. Several of the associations indicated that the state accident history of CMV operators under age 21 was no worse than that of older operators.
Motor carriers that commented favorably concerning the younger driver pilot program had a favorable experience in hiring younger drivers for intrastate operations, and they were confident that the pilot safeguards were adequate to ensure highway safety. Most of the motor carriers opposed to the pilot believed that it is too risky because younger drivers lack the maturity necessary to safely operate CMVs.
Most of the state agencies that responded indicated that they allow individuals under the age of 21 to operate CMVs in intrastate commerce. Six discussed their safety experience with intrastate CMV drivers under age 21 but FMCSA said the data was conflicting. Agencies from Montana, Illinois, Vermont, and Virginia indicated that their statistics show that CMV drivers under age 21 pose no greater crash risk than other age groups. Agencies from California and Iowa stated that their statistics show that CMV drivers under age 21 have a higher crash rate than that of older truck drivers.
FMCSA said it believes that the commenters presented compelling arguments both in support of, and in opposition to, the TCA petition. It also noted that it doesn’t believe that all drivers between 18 and 21 should be viewed as a safety risk, regardless of the requirements imposed upon them. "However," it added, "there is little information currently available to support the contention that young CMV drivers selected through a rigorous screening process, and groomed through an intensive training and mentoring program, would have safety performance records comparable to CMV drivers 21 years of age or older. Therefore, we believe that it would be inappropriate to pursue a pilot program until there is additional information and data on which to base a preliminary determination about the potential safety impacts of allowing younger drivers to operate in interstate commerce."
The proposal and comments can be accessed on the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov/ . Search for docket number FMCSA-2000-8410.