Bills Aimed at Reducing Driver Shortage

A top priority for PMAA is supporting efforts to expand the availability of qualified truck drivers. For a decade the trucking industry has struggled with a shortage of drivers and the problem is growing. The main causes of the shortage are the aging workforce, job alternatives, regulations, young drivers exiting the market because of life style changes and industry growth requiring more drivers. Because of this shortage, several bills have been introduced to help to alleviate the problem.

The “Developing Responsible Individuals for a Vibrant Economy Act,” H.R.5358, known as “The DRIVE-safe Act,” was introduced by Reps. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) and Trey Hollingsworth (R-IN), which would allow drivers 18 and older to operate across state lines, if they meet rigorous training requirements — at least 400 hours of on-duty time with 240 hours of driving time, with an experienced driver training them. Training would also be restricted to trucks equipped with active braking systems, video monitoring systems and speed limiters set to 65 mph or slower. H.R.5358 has received support from UPS, the American Trucking Associations (ATA), the International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA) and the National Council of Chain Restaurants, a division of the National Retail Federation.

The FAST Act that was passed by Congress in 2015 included a pilot program to study the safety implications of allowing veterans between the ages of 18-21 to operate trucks across state lines. Under current federal law, veterans in this age group are prohibited from doing so even though they can otherwise obtain a commercial driver’s license (CDL) in each of the 48 contiguous states. The provision that established the pilot program prohibits hazmat transporters from participating in the pilot program. The WHEEL Act (H.R. 3889) was introduced by Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (R-NY) to broaden the criteria for participation in the pilot program by allowing CDL holders ages 18-21 who have a clean driving record and have received a certification of completion from a qualified training program to participate in the study. However, it does not repeal the language which prohibits hazmat transportation from participating in the pilot program.

PMAA continues to vet these bills as well as other possible solutions to increase the number of CDL truck drivers in the U.S.