18-Year Olds Could Soon Fill Commercial Driver Drought

(WASHINGTON, DC) The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently announced a second pilot program to allow drivers aged 18, 19, and 20 to operate commercial motor vehicles in interstate commerce. According to the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA), the pilot program has the potential to remove a significant impediment to the efficient movement of goods in interstate commerce: the inconsistent minimum age rules for commercial drivers operating in interstate versus intrastate commerce. The minimum age for operating commercial vehicles within states’ borders is 18, while 21 is the federal minimum age to drive across state lines. The first pilot program, which launched one year ago (July 2018), limited its drivers to those aged 18-20 with military experience operating heavy vehicles. NGFA says that by broadening driver eligibility in the new pilot program to those without military experience will help ensure enough meaningful data is collected to assess potential safety impacts.