Military veterans eyed for interstate trucking pilot

The U.S. Transportation Department has initiated a pilot program to allow 18- to 20-year-olds who hold the military equivalent of a commercial driver’s license to operate big rigs across state lines.    The U.S. Transportation Department has initiated a pilot program to allow 18- to 20-year-old men and women who hold a U.S. military equivalent of a commercial driver’s license to operate large trucks across state lines.
   The program, which is authorized under Section 5404 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, requires the involvement of participating trucking companies. 
   “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 Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao in a statement.
   During the pilot program, which is scheduled to operate for three years, the safety records of these drivers will be compared to those of a “control group” of commercial drivers.
   The DOT’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which will oversee the pilot, said it received a number of favorable comments from the trucking industry to participate and employ these 18- to 20-year-old drivers. Some of the largest industry associations to support the program include the American Trucking Associations, Truckload Carriers Association and Agricultural Retailers Association.