Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/550385
PULSE August 2015 | Overdrive | 5 By Max Heine Editorial director mheine@randallreilly.com A mong many trucking industry changes shoehorned into the U.S. Senate's proposed highway bill is one that would allow states to make agree- ments letting younger CDL holders cross state lines. The proposed CDL pilot program emerged as a bill introduced by Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer. Last month, its language was modified and rolled into the Senate's long-term highway bill. That's on hold until Congress returns from its August recess. For now, both houses passed a short-term funding patch that should keep the Highway Trust Fund alive through October. One benefit to the pilot program would be a boost to the driver force. Many 18-20-year-old adults who might be inclined to drive pro- fessionally choose other careers because they don't want to wait until turning 21 before they can drive interstate. You can't blame them if they find good jobs and don't look back. As for safety, the primary issue, consid- er the arbitrary situations created by the current intrastate limitation. California and Texas are plenty large enough to allow a young driver to max out his hours within the state, creating the kind of risky situation intrastate driving is supposed to prevent. Yet it's illegal for younger truckers to drive locally across a state line. Leading opposition to the CDL change is Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety. Its detailed statement frets over "teen truckers" and their "unacceptable high crash risk." AHAS apparently assumes a "teen trucker" would have no more screening, training or maturity than a typical teen four-wheeler. AHAS doesn't back up its assumption of higher crash risk. It's quite an omission, considering that states would be free to add restrictions. If states set limits for young- er drivers on driving distance or time, or require more extensive prep such as team driver training, younger drivers could end up being even safer than older ones. This could be "a big step toward a grad- uated licensing program," argues the American Trucking Associations. Such a program also might well extend beyond age 21 (ATA proposes age 25), further enhancing safety. Reform in this area could dovetail well with a proposed regulation of entry-level driver training, drafted by 26 diverse industry stakeholders. It would require anyone ap- plying for a new or upgraded CDL to complete classroom and behind-the-wheel training from a provider listed on a national registry. Trucking, contrary to what AHAS might think, actually is opposed to unsafe "teen truckers," but the intrastate/ interstate divide for younger CDL holders is of limited help. That regulation, along with the entire regimen for entering the driving pro- fession, should be replaced with something that not only makes sense but also creates safer drivers and encourages career-minded young adults. A safer CDL portal The current prohibition on interstate driv- ing for younger CDL holders does only so much to promote safety. Why the exemptions keep coming By Wendy Parker This just in: All drivers who have the middle name Leroy are exempt from the 30-minute break in the hours of service. Also, on Tuesdays and Saturdays in August and October, anyone hauling bacon products is ex- empt. Oh yeah, let's not forget, during the summer solstice, under the light of a blue moon, when there are unicorns pres- ent, anyone who has brown eyes is also exempt. Puh-leeeeeez! You know why the FMCSA is granting all these exemptions? Because the 30-minute-break rule is stupid. Also, they failed to take into consideration the other regs they've put into place before piling more on top. The trucking industry is a mountain, and the FMCSA is mining this mountain to justify their jobs. Rules and regulations are ab- solutely necessary. At the same time, common sense dictates that if you give the people who are actually doing the job the right to do it to their best ability, the job will be done well. Oh, wait. I said common sense. Even if there is a trace of common sense in Washington, you'd need three coon dogs and a Geiger counter to find it. Good miners know the mountain will take only so many holes before it collapses. Trolls couldn't care less and destroy the mountain in spite of themselves.