• TCA petition for young truck drivers denied

    The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has denied a petition by the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) that proposes a pilot program
    Oct. 1, 2003
    2 min read

    The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has denied a petition by the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) that proposes a pilot program to allow drivers 18 to 20 years old to drive trucks in interstate commerce under certain conditions, according to FMCSA information.

    Under current federal regulations, such drivers must be at least 21 years old. FMCSA is denying the petition because it does not have sufficient information to determine that safety measures in the pilot program would achieve a safety level at least equal to that provided by complying with the minimum 21-year age requirement to operate a commercial motor vehicle (CMV).

    The pilot program proposed Oct 2, 2000, by TCA would screen candidate drivers, train them at approved truck-driving schools, and provide an apprenticeship with an approved motor carrier until age 21. FMCSA said denial of the TCA petition should not be construed as a rejection of the argument that screening, training, and mentoring could improve the safety performance of younger CMV drivers.

    In response to the proposal, the agency received 1,634 comments, with more than 90% of the comments opposing the pilot program. The most common reason given by those opposed to the program was that younger drivers do not have the level of maturity or driving experience necessary to operate a CMV in interstate commerce, FMCSA said.

    Voice your opinion!

    To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of FleetOwner, create an account today!

    Sign up for our free eNewsletters

    Latest from Refrigerated Transporter

    Orbcomm
    orbcommcrewviewbayviewinterface
    New onboard solution enables end-to-end visibility for smart refrigerated and dry van containers in real time while in transit.
    Optimal Dynamics
    Halvor Lines recently took a “data-driven leap forward” by partnering with Optimal Dynamics to automate and optimize freight decisions.
    A new partnership with Optimal Dynamics is helping the family-owned trucking company automate freight decisions across its complex enterprise network.
    Schmitz Cargobull
    From left to right are Alexander Thoma, Schmitz Cargobull head of refrigeration unit business; Volker Flatau, Schmitz Cargobull head of the cool freight product line; Frank Reppenhagen, Schmitz Cargobull West Europe region director; Dirk Mutlak, Tevex Logistics managing director; Andreas Schmitz, Schmitz Cargobull chairman and CEO; Rene Lemke, Schmitz Cargobull Bielefeld area sales manager; Sven Masuhr, Tevex Logistics head of carrier management; and Jonathan Steckel, Schmitz Cargobull head of product management.
    Germany-based Tevex is adding 166 new refrigerated vehicles to its fleet, including an all-electric S.KOe Cool box trailer and an ePTO-ready transport refrigeration unit.