The three-year Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot (SDAP) program, designed to pave the way for allowing 18- to 20-year-old CDL holders to operate in interstate commerce, is set to conclude on November 7, 2025.
Although the results are barely a blip compared to expectations, a groundswell of activity has been set in motion.
“They said they needed 3,000 drivers and 1,000 carriers for the program, and they haven’t gotten anywhere close to those numbers,” said David Heller, senior vice president of safety and government affairs for the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA). “(They had) 42 drivers total throughout the three years of the program.”
Those drivers, however, will provide usable data for the trucking industry and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
“They have had some very successful individual training students that go through this. So they’re currently working on issuing waivers that they can continue to operate in interstate commerce,” Heller explained. “Which then leads us to that grand old question: Where are we now?”
Drive Safe Act
One indicator of where we are now is the Drive Safe Act, legislation that would codify training requirements for younger drivers and change regulations to permit them to drive anywhere older drivers can work. The act has been introduced to Congress numerous times without success — so far.
That could change soon, Heller says.
“If we read the tea leaves, we’re in the midst of getting Highway Reauthorization conversations started on Capitol Hill,” he said. “The houses are looking at getting their next highway bill done by late fall, early winter. You’re going to see a lot of things that get thrown at the wall to see what sticks, and one of those things could be the Drive Safe Act.”
Seeking young drivers
Another important initiative on the young driver front is being conducted by the Next Generation in Trucking Association (NextGen). Founded in 2021, the organization promotes trucking industry jobs through school-based programs that introduce high-school level students to trucking.
“We now have over 50 high schools nationwide offering CDL programs,” said Lindsey Trent, president and co-founder of NextGen. “The course is 210 hours for high-school seniors, including simulator training, classroom instruction and more.”
Most participating high schools partner with a traditional CDL school, either through a community college or a private enterprise, to provide behind-the-wheel training before the new CDL holder moves on to carrier employment. Some students, according to Trent, were also participants in the SDAP program. Ohio-based Garner Trucking and Iowa-based Ruan have both accepted students from NextGen programs into their SDAP apprenticeship programs.
Insurance concerns
Insurance is a concern for every carrier, and lowering the age for interstate operation will undoubtedly have an impact on rates and coverage.
“Insurance is currently one of the biggest impediments to hiring younger drivers,” Trent said, noting that NextGen is launching an Insurance Task Force that will establish recognized training standards.
“We can show insurers that these are some of the safest, best-trained drivers in the workforce,” she said.
The question remains, however, whether carriers will accept younger drivers — and potentially higher insurance costs — in an effort to address hiring shortfalls.
“Each carrier will need to make their own determination of what additional costs they are willing to absorb,” Heller said, adding that training has not been vastly different for 19-year-olds than for 40-year-olds.
“(Because of SDAP) we have these standards out there now that hadn’t existed before,” he said. “So the reality is going to be that there are minimum training standards to get a CDL. Whether you’re 18, 19 or 40, you should be able to get a CDL after learning to operate equipment efficiently and safely.”
Attracting students before they graduate from high school is sound policy, Heller says.
“Providing those high school students with a future career avenue is good, particularly if they open up this interstate commerce section of the FMCSRs and allow for these drivers to operate in interstate commerce,” Heller said.
“The professional truck driver is the tip of the spear in terms of the American economy, and we need to be exploring avenues to introduce this career to people that are looking for a sensible way to make a living,” he said. “The Next Generation in Trucking Association is doing a great job of doing that.”
When it comes to classroom and driving hours for prospective drivers, Heller believes testing the driver’s proficiency is more important than mandating training hour numbers.
“If you were getting on an airplane, would you want a pilot who has demonstrated a proficiency to operate that airplane?” he asked. “Or would you rather have somebody that has only achieved a minimum number of operating hours?”
Proficiency matters
Heller acknowledges that current efforts to enforce English language proficiency (ELP) standards by placing commercial vehicle drivers who can’t meet them out of service will impact the availability of new drivers.
“There has to be an expectation of understanding the English language before you are able to get your CDL,” he said.
“Of course, TCA members want to know what capacity is going to look like (when drivers are removed from the pool),” he continued. “We want to make sure that the industry is compliant and, if the effect (of ELP enforcement) is dramatic workforce reductions, we want our carriers to be prepared.”
Heller also mentioned that the industry is positive about the confirmation of new FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs.
“He understands our industry, and he comes from an enforcement background,” he said.
The trucking industry continues to change, but innovative ideas and quality leadership will help ensure that those changes are for the better.
This story originally appeared in the November/December 2025 edition of Truckload Authority, the official publication of the Truckload Carriers Association.
Cliff Abbott is an experienced commercial vehicle driver and owner-operator who still holds a CDL in his home state of Alabama. In nearly 40 years in trucking, he’s been an instructor and trainer and has managed safety and recruiting operations for several carriers. Having never lost his love of the road, Cliff has written a book and hundreds of songs and has been writing for The Trucker for more than a decade.
