FMCSA’s Safe Driver Apprenticeship Program struggles to collect data on under-21 CDL drivers

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? In our industry, we wonder: If a driver is under 21, is there enough data to determine if they are safe enough to operate across state lines?

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Safe Driver Apprenticeship Program (SDAP) attempts to answer this decades-old trucking conundrum: Can a younger driver—between 18 and 20 years old—with a CDL operate in interstate commerce in a manner that is as safe or safer than their more seasoned counterparts?

That these drivers can only operate in intrastate commerce can be quite challenging. In many states, you can travel hundreds of miles before crossing a state line, which these younger drivers are not permitted to do. The problem is that there is a lack of substantial data surrounding the safety performance of a 19-year-old with a CDL. With this knowledge, or lack thereof, SDAP was developed to address this issue once and for all.

The challenge: Too little data, too much at stake

FMCSA launched SDAP under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This program allows qualified 18- to 20-year-olds to operate in interstate under specific conditions, including additional training, mentorship from experienced drivers, and the use of vehicles equipped with advanced safety technologies.

Participants must undergo at least 400 hours of supervised driving and carriers must report safety data to FMCSA. The pilot aims to collect enough data to evaluate whether the age restriction for interstate driving should be permanently lowered.

But the data collection has dragged. The study called for approximately 3,000 drivers from 1,000 motor carriers; however, FMCSA reported totals considerably less than that. Its most recent report had just 42 drivers who completed both probationary periods.

This is a far cry from the 3,000 that FMCSA originally requested.

The SDAP’s November 7 expiration date is quickly approaching. With limited data to support it, what does the future hold for this program and its goal of determining whether young drivers can safely operate commercial motor vehicles?

Here is when I cue up the DRIVE Safe Act, a bill introduced in previous Congresses that serves as the basis for the SDAP. Now is the time to lift the barriers that prevent these drivers from operating in interstate commerce, given the lack of data and the need for waivers for those who have completed the program.

Training, accountability, and the road ahead

Now, training will almost always be part of this equation, and it should be, considering we as an industry are fully operating under the entry-level driver training requirements established by FMCSA as minimum rules for training drivers who have never held a CDL, regardless of age. FMCSA’s proficiency standard remains in question, irrespective of its enforcement.

Perhaps this should be added to the enforcement calendar for incoming Administrator Derek Barrs, who was recently confirmed. Instituting the rule is one thing, but there should be some expectation that training institutions are following it to begin with. There are rumblings that some training institutions could benefit from a “compliance review” as it pertains to the standards outlined in the entry-level driver training rules.

Safety, of course, is non-negotiable, and that premise is why the entry-level driver training rules were developed in the first place. With extensive training, use of telematics, and real-time monitoring, younger drivers can be introduced to interstate driving in a controlled and supportive environment. Training drivers, regardless of age, to a set standard makes all the difference in the world. Now, let’s ensure that the training providers are doing the same.

No matter how you look at it, younger CDL drivers represent an opportunity to expose a great American industry to an engaging workforce demographic at a time when questions surround the costs incurred for a college education. Presenting our younger generation with a vital path moving forward could place our industry and its driving workforce along a path that will pave the way for trucking for years to come.