Is lowering the trucking age a good idea? – You decide
18-year-olds may soon be allowed to start trucking across the country.
At present, interstate trucking is only permitted for drivers 21 and older. But New Jersey's trucking industry is having a hard time drawing new drivers, so Republican lawmakers are looking to widen the pool of CDL applicants by lowering the federal age requirements.
As several callers pointed out, you'd think these jobs would fill quickly because of the state of the economy and rising student debt. However, many veteran truckers called in to tell us that the shortage may be happening because it's hard for young guys to be away from their loved ones for weeks at a time.
Callers who started their driving career at or around 18 varied on whether they thought the age is too young to drive a tractor trailer safely. The majority said teenagers aren't mature enough to handle the task, or they simply lack the training to the job safely.
One caller, however, said he used to drive a gun-mounted tractor trailer for the military in Iraq when he was 18, so it doesn't make sense why we'd make this restriction at home. Others said it depends on who's driving, and extra training might be a good idea for younger recruits.
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