Since trucking can be a very difficult and demanding job, more and more people are inclined to enter the industry as a trucker. Despite the long drive hours and being forced to sleep in the truck’s cab from time to time, this is still a very appealing job. Thanks to a new Congress bill named the DRIVE-Safe Act, it seems that the overall requirements to become a trucker will be even more lenient.
What is the DRIVE-Safe Act about?
Right now, if you are 18 years old, you can acquire a commercial driving license. That being said, the restriction here is that you can’t transport goods between states until you are 21 years old. However, you can do that locally. The DRIVE-Safe Act is changing that because it adds an apprenticeship program. This will become mandatory for any interstate commercial driver under the age of 21. The drivers will have to do at least 400 hours on duty, as well as 240+ hours of driving time, all while being supervised by an experienced driver.
Why is the DRIVE-Safe Act important right now? For starters, there’s a driver shortage in the trucking world. As a result, there is a multitude of different systems and programs in place to attract younger drivers. It’s great for their careers too, because they can accumulate a lot more experience in the industry quicker. However, the DRIVE-Safe Act does come with a price. As we know, younger drivers are more prone to deal with crashes. The same thing can be said about male drivers when compared to females.
Is the DRIVE-Safe Act needed?
Yes, the DRIVE-Safe Act is great because it helps boost the training and safety standards. It brings great opportunities for young drivers, as well as more experienced ones. Having a 2-step program that helps with the training process is extremely important, and it does bring in front an amazing array of benefits. The great thing is that drivers will train only in trucks that have a state-of-the-art, new safety technology.
This includes things like video event capture technology, activate baking, collision prevention systems, and so on. They also have a speed governor solution designed to keep speed under control. It’s a very good system and one that will most likely bring a new generation of truckers, while also inspiring current ones as well.
Conclusion
The DRIVE-Safe Act does a very good job of bringing more control over how young truckers enter the industry. Implementing better safety protocols and apprenticeship programs is very handy, and it does help eliminate many concerns. That’s why the DRIVE-Safe Act is such an incredible solution because it was needed for quite some time, and now it will help prevent accidents by offering improved training to newcomers. It’s important to see how things will evolve now that the DRIVE-Safe Act is active, but it was definitely one of the most important changes that could have been made in the industry right now.
