FMCSA to Consider Commercial Learner’s Permits for 17 Year Olds
If you have been following trucking industry news for some amount of time, you have probably heard about the purported trucker shortage. One of the reasons for this is the elevated barrier of entry to become a professional driver: time that normally happens after graduation from high school. Connell High School wants to do something about that, and give students a year’s head start on the career.
Details
Located in Connell, Washington, Connell High School is petitioning the FMCSA to allow drivers at age 17 to start obtaining a Commercial’s Learner Permit (CLP) and start practicing the rules of the road.
Connell High School hopes to give the students enrolled in the program 180 additional hours of training time in the classroom, in the field, and behind the wheel before they turn 18 and are eligible to start applying for a CDL.
The FMCSA has posted this request for an exemption in the Federal Register, upon which you can provide your comment in support or against this request. So far, people have been pretty split down the middle, with some saying that this is a great way to instill a greater sense of pride in working in trades, while others saying that these teens can barely drive a normal sedan, let alone an 80,000 pound vehicle.
Conclusion
The exemption does not provide any leeway for the current standard of being a minimum of 21 years old in order to haul interstate, meaning that these drivers from Connell will be locked to Washington for at least four years should the program go into effect.
There has been many a contentious debate on younger drivers, both in terms of crossing state lines as well as obtaining a CLP in the first place. In our opinion, as long as the student is able to consistently perform at exceptional driving standards, we think this is a great way to help people start their careers in the industry. With automated trucking still a handful of decades away, now is neither too early nor too late for these young men (and women!) to begin this career, under proper supervision!
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