Truckload Carriers Assn. (TCA) president Robert Hirsch said he is disappointed at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) rejection of a pilot program aimed at the trucking industry's driver shortage.
"I am nonetheless pleased by the fact that FMCSA did not rule out entirely considering a similar pilot in the future," Hirsch said. "Denial of the TCA petition should not be construed as a rejection of the argument that screening, training, and mentoring could improve the safety performance of younger CMV drivers."
TCA had asked FMCSA for permission to conduct a program that would allow drivers as young as 18 to operate commercial motor vehicles in interstate commerce.