DRIVE-Safe Act and the Trucking Industry
What is the DRIVE-Safe Act? Is it necessary?
Well, something’s happening in the trucking industry: fewer and fewer people are signing up. There’s a huge shortage of truck drivers that’s been steadily climbing, and doesn’t show signs of stopping. Drivers earn on average about 80,000 dollars. But still, no one wants to do it. The lifestyle is hard, you don’t get to be with your family, and it requires extended periods of alone time.
The driver deficit is slowing down delivery rates and increasing the prices of other regular goods. Coca-Cola was offering a $3,500 signing bonus for drivers because the demand is so high. If more people don’t sign up for the job, as a result deliveries will continue to slow and prices will continue to rise.
The DRIVE-Safe Act and Trucking
Some think that it is possible that the DRIVE-Safe Act could help end the driver shortage. The Act (Developing Responsible Individuals for a Vibrant Economy) is just how it sounds.
The bill would lower the age that people are allowed to become professional truck drivers. Right now, a person must be 21 years old before they can drive a truck anywhere that’s not within their home state. Consequently, that limits the number of jobs you can do. In contrast, under the bill the driving age would be lowered to 18 year old.
The plan is to attract those who are considering going to college and earning their degree by offering them a job that pays well, without having to land them in debt for their education.
Under the bill, the drivers would have to finish 240 hours of on-the-road training with an experiencing driver training them. The training trucks would have dashboard video capture and automatic active braking systems.
Younger drivers would be enabled to earn their license through an apprenticeship program under these guidelines, paving the way to a career in the trucking industry. Those in the middle class without a college education will have the opportunity to earn a livable wage.
The Future
These changes need to happen quickly. The average age of a truck driver is 55 and there is currently already a truck driver shortage of 51,000. Because of drivers retiring, this gap is only going to continue to grow. When drivers start from a younger age, they’ll be able to grow their talent so that skilled drivers are starting to fill out the industry. Similarly, the DRIVE-Safe act looks will help young adults get started in a well paying industry to build their careers early.
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