Following through on a mandated requirement as part of the FAST Act, the U.S. Department of Transportation will formerly announce a pilot program designed to transition military members into truck driving careers in interstate commerce.
The program, to be published in the Federal Register on Thursday, will allow 18- to 20-year olds who possess the U.S. Military equivalent of a commercial driver’s license (CDL) to operate large trucks in interstate commerce, USDOT said.
“This program will allow our Veterans and Reservists, to translate their extensive training into good-paying jobs operating commercial vehicles safely across the country, while also addressing the nationwide driver shortage,” said Elaine Chao, U.S. Secretary of Transportation.
The program was manded by Section 5404 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act.
Under the pilot, candidates must be sponsored by a participating trucking company. The program pushes the industry one step closer to its goal of opening the doors to those under 21 to legally transport goods across state lines. Currently, CDL holders must be over 21 to cross state lines, but those under 21 can move goods within state borders, creating an odd situation for trucking companies. It’s possible under the current rules for a 19-year-old to drive an 80,000-pound truck 500 miles within a state’s border, but theoretically drive that same truck 4 miles in the opposite direction and break the law.