The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is tasked with deciding whether it should grant a high school’s exemption request to allow 17-year-old students to acquire a commercial learner’s permit.
The request is open to public comment. To be expected, the agency already has received comments from both sides of the issue. Comments have ranged from saying that the exemption would decrease highway safety to suggesting that early instruction would lead to safer drivers.
In a notice that was published in the Federal Register on May 17, Connell (Wash.) High School asked FMCSA for an exemption that would allow 17-year-old students enrolled in the school’s CDL program to obtain a commercial learner’s permit. The students would receive 180 hours of classroom, field and drive-time instruction before earning a CDL at the age of 18.
Current regulations allow commercial drivers to begin operating intrastate at age 18. Interstate truckers – those operating across state lines – must be at least 21.
Connell High School noted in the exemption request that its enrollment of about 600 students is 70% minority and 70% economically disadvantaged students. The school district serves a primarily agricultural community across four rural towns.
The program would span two semesters. The school has requested that the exemption begin in September.
Comments
FMCSA posted the notice and gave the public 30 days to provide feedback. So far, the agency has received nearly two dozen comments.
Several of the commenters told FMCSA not to grant the exemption.
“This concept is terrible,” Drew Mueller wrote. “Young drivers don’t have the experience or judgment to handle big trucks. Just because there is a shortfall of candidates, doesn’t mean we change the laws and lower expectations. Create incentives for mature truck drivers to continue on their career paths and attract new candidates in the same manner.”
Joe Denning, a veteran truck driver, told the agency that teenagers shouldn’t be behind the wheel of a heavy-duty truck.
“It is my opinion as a professional driver with 21 years of experience that they should not be allowed,” Denning wrote. “Because in the over 2 million miles that I have driven in my career, a child that young has no business behind the wheel of an 80,000-pound machine.”
Others believe that FMCSA should grant the exemption request.
“I have no issues and support the request by Connell High School to allow 17-year-olds to obtain a learner’s permit to drive a semi and then, after completing the high school’s CDL training program, test at 18 years of age to obtain a CDL,” Dave Riddle wrote.
“Age should not be a factor,” Richard Tognoli wrote. “Competence is the only qualifier. Thirty-five years in the business, I’ve seen 16-year-olds outdrive 20-year career drivers. Sadly, we lose these kids often to other trades such as equipment operators that still utilize their skills without any age discrimination.”
FMCSA will accept comments through June 17. To weigh in, go to Regulations.gov and enter Docket No. FMCSA-2024-0092. LL
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