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Washington — A bill recently introduced in the House would allow commercial truck drivers younger than 21 to operate across state lines.
Sponsored by Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-WY), the Responsible Opportunity for Under-21 Trucking Engagement (ROUTE) Act (H.R. 6642) would permit younger truck drivers to travel within a 150-mile air radius of their usual reporting location.
Under the legislation, those drivers would be required to return to their reporting location within 14 hours and take at least 10 consecutive hours off duty before their next shift.
Although all 50 states and the District of Columbia allow 18- to 20-year-olds to obtain commercial driver’s licenses, those drivers can operate only within state lines.
“Federal barriers prevent capable young Americans from entering the trucking industry,” Hageman said in a press release. “Wyoming and other rural states face needless challenges because federal regulation blocks young CDL holders from making short interstate trips. It makes no sense that drivers are allowed to travel from Gillette to Evanston (a 450-mile trip) but prohibited from driving right across the state line to Belle Fourche, South Dakota.”
Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association President Todd Spencer calls the legislation “safe and practical.”
“A 150 air-mile operating radius gives drivers the chance to build skills in familiar conditions, receive the training they need and stay closer to home while gaining experience,” he said in the release.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Nov. 7 concluded a pilot program that allowed truckers younger than 21 to operate interstate.
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Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication