The American Trucking Associations petitioned FMCSA for an exemption that would allow for an under-21 driver pilot program to continue.
Regulations.gov indicates that ATA requested the exemption in a letter dated Nov. 14.
In 2021, Congress passed a provision that created the “Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program,” which allowed under-21 drivers to operate in interstate commerce if they met a set of requirements. Current regulations require interstate truck drivers to be at least 21 years old. CDL holders aged 18-20 are limited to operating in a single state.
ATA asked FMCSA for an exemption so the program can continue. The Congressionally approved program ended on Nov. 7.
“Our members and FMCSA’s own experience has shown that the Safe Driver Apprenticeship Program is a safe method for training younger individuals to drive in interstate commerce,” wrote Nathan Mehrens, ATA’s vice president for workforce policy. “Extending this Congressionally mandated program is in the public interest, as participating apprentices have demonstrated that they can be trained to safely haul freight in interstate commerce.”
ATA noted in the letter that apprentices had logged more than 2 million safe miles. However, the program never attracted large numbers since its start in 2022.
In April 2024, it was reported that FMCSA had received only 113 applications from motor carriers. Only 34 of those carriers had been fully approved to participate in the program. According to the report, 36 applications were rejected for failing to complete registration. The program was set up to accommodate 1,000 motor carriers and 3,000 under-21 drivers.
As of the end of 2025’s second quarter, FMCSA reported that it had received 211 motor carrier applications and that 62 had been approved. Meanwhile, only 80 applications had been received from apprentice drivers. Out of those, only 42 completed both probationary periods of the program.
ATA has previously blamed the lack of participation on certain requirements in the program, including driver-facing cameras.
Interestingly, ATA’s petition does not cite a “driver shortage” as the motivation for bringing in younger truckers.
For years, ATA has said that under-21 drivers are necessary to combat an excessive shortage of truckers.
This has been the narrative even though the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association has always refuted the claims, and multiple studies have determined that there is no driver shortage. ATA President Chris Spear even doubled down on the claim during a Senate hearing in July.
“Self-serving, factless claims that there is no driver shortage undermine the serious work of this committee,” Spear said.
But Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy poked a hole in the driver shortage myth during a news conference in October.
“I do not buy the idea that there are not enough American truck drivers,” Duffy said.
The petition isn’t ATA’s only attempt to resume the under-21 pilot program. Earlier this year, Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., reintroduced the Developing Responsible Individuals for a Vibrant Economy (DRIVE) Safe Act.
Crawford cited the “driver shortage” among the motivations for the bill.
As of Dec. 9, HR5563 had 24 co-sponsors.
Another way
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, which promotes increasing entry-level driver training standards, is against allowing 18-year-olds straight out of high school to start operating as long-haul truckers. Instead, OOIDA believes lawmakers should consider establishing a 150-mile radius for younger drivers that would allow them to cross state lines. A 150-air-mile radius would address arguments about the current rules allowing an 18-year-old to haul across the entire state of Texas but prevent another 18-year-old from taking a load from Kansas City, Kan., to Kansas City, Mo.
“The solution to this problem is not suddenly permitting that inexperienced driver to cross the country without limitations, entering terrain and experiencing elements they find unfamiliar and have not been trained to handle safely,” OOIDA Executive Vice President Lewie Pugh told lawmakers at a Senate hearing in July. LL
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