There is no driver shortage, only a shortage of drivers willing to work under very poor working conditions.

On Feb. 20, 2001, Robert Hirsch, president of the Truckload Carriers Association, applauded the U.S. Department of Transportation’s decision to propose a pilot program aimed at the trucking industry’s critical and growing driver shortage. This program sought to initiate a pilot project to allow 19- and 20-year-olds to operate commercial motor vehicles in interstate commerce. These moves by the TCA and DOT immediately drew fire from safety advocates.

Russell Swift, co-chairman of Parents Against Tired Truckers responded in a subdued tone: “We sincerely believe that utilization of 18- to 20-year-old drivers in interstate commerce is unwise and hope that FMCSA will not implement the program.”

Other responders were not as subdued.

In his publication, Landline, Jim Johnston, president of the Owner Operators and Independent Drivers Association, blasted the plan. “This is simply an effort by motor carriers to find a new source of people willing to work cheap and provisions in the proposal that would hold the driver captive to the carrier until he’s 21 amounts to no more than indentured servitude,” he said.

One can easily understand the motivation behind TCA’s petition. Faced with an annual turnover rate of between 60 and 120 percent it does not take a rocket scientist to realize that the trucking industry’s supply of fresh recruits is fast running out. How much simpler it is to drop the age limit for drivers than confront myriad and serious reasons for this absurd turnover rate: Working conditions that would repel the vast majority of American labor and a compensation system based on mileage, which forces drivers to “sweat their labor” in rolling sweatshops. Many more reasons can easily be enumerated, but these two will suffice as major headings.

“The door should never have been opened to even consider allowing 18-year-olds to drive interstate commerce,” says Daphne Izer, founder of Parents Against Tired Truckers. “The TCA knows very well that there is no driver shortage, only a shortage of drivers willing to work under very poor working conditions. There is an ample supply of qualified drivers over the age of 21, but many of those drivers are not willing to work under current conditions, which includes a prevalence of free labor at the docks of many shippers and receivers.”

As drivers increasingly shoulder the load placed upon them by an industry running amuck, many transportation executives opt for the easy way out – maintaining the status quo – thereby guaranteeing the future demise of their companies with such myopic behavior. In the words of the old song, “When will they ever learn?”

Luckily, some in positions of authority and responsibility have retained their vision. United States Congressman Frank Wolf, a Virginia Republican and former chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, is one. Thanks to his efforts definitive language was inserted into the most recent omnibus appropriations bill; language that stopped consideration of the TCA’s pilot program in its tracks.

Section 346 of the appropriations bill states, “None of the funds in this Act may be obligated or expended by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for the development or implementation of a pilot program for the purpose of allowing commercial drivers 18 to 20 years of age to operate the trucks and buses of motor carriers in interstate commerce.”

OOIDA’s Johnston is another with vision. While strongly opposed to the addition of younger drivers, Johnston pointed out that the TCA proposal did include increased driver training. He suggested that the program would be a good addition to the CDL requirements for persons 21 years old and over.

Speaking for myself and the thousands of hard working truck drivers in this country who have long been used, abused and ridden hard by an industry that does not seem to care, I would like to thank Congressman Frank Wolf of Virginia and many others for their effective and tireless efforts on our behalf.

Guy Bourrie has been hauling on the highways for 20 years. He lives in Washington, Maine, and can be reached at redhaven@midcoast.com.