Originally published at: Safety groups urge FMCSA to kill SDAP extension - FreightWaves
Truck crash victim advocates want FMCSA to permanently scrap its teen-driver pilot program, calling it a lethal risk to road safety.
I hired several SDAP’s over the course of the program. The training time for them was typically10-11 weeks to accumulate the behind the wheel and on duty hours required by FMCSA. And then their safety data is reviewed by the Feds every month until they age out of the program. These drivers were under scrutiny the entire time, and they knew they were being watched. Most of our SDAP drivers were 20 years old and aged out of the program on their 21st birthday, although a couple of them were 19, one of whom is still driving interstate for us at 20 years old (received an extension after the end of the program to continue driving).
Overall, it did not greatly increase driver count and interest was tepid at best. However, much of that is due to FMCSA fumbling the ball on advertising the program to ELDT training programs who actually recruit students to attend their training program to get a CDL.
And while I am not a (personal) believer in the ATA’s “There’s a trucker shortage, we need to lower the age to increase drivers in the industry” line (same with importing foreign drivers), It’s about finding and training the right 18-20 year old. Just crossing an imaginary line on a map does not make it inherently unsafe. An 18-20 year old can drive truck 750 miles back and forth from Houston to El Paso and it’s deemed “safe”, but the same 18-20 year old can’t drive 15 miles from Sharon, PA to Youngstown, OH because crossing state lines is somehow “unsafe”. It makes no sense.
Overall, the program is almost more hassle than it’s worth, but we’ve produced a few extremely safe, efficient, and professional drivers out of it.