WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) today joined a bipartisan group of Senators to reintroduce the Developing Responsible Individuals for a Vibrant Economy (DRIVE-Safe) Act to address the driver shortage in the trucking and logistics industry, as well as enhance safety training and job opportunities for young workers. In addition to Senator King, the legislation is cosponsored by Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.) Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.).

“By creating an apprenticeship program that works across state lines, we can enhance the skills of our workforce, allow young Americans to get a jumpstart on their career, and help them to be safer drivers while doing it,” said Senator King. “It’s a commonsense solution to a bureaucratic challenge, which helps workers, consumers, and drivers – an all-around win.”

“Here in Maine, trucking companies are faced with serious workforce needs and young people are ready and willing to get trained and get to work,” said Brian Parke, President and CEO of the Maine Motor Transport Association. “But current law is prohibiting qualified drivers from accessing these good paying jobs. The DRIVE-Safe Act is a common sense way to safely and responsibly strengthen Maine’s trucking industry and the economy as a whole. We thank Senator King for his support.”

Though many states allow individuals to obtain a commercial driver’s license at age 18, federal law currently prohibits those operators from moving goods across state or national borders until they are 21. The DRIVE-Safe Act would establishes an apprenticeship program that would allow 18-to 21-year-old CDL holders to legally operate a commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce. The apprenticeship training program would help ensure these drivers are trained beyond current CDL requirements while instituting rigorous safety standards and performance benchmarks.

The apprenticeship program established by the DRIVE-Safe Act would require young drivers to complete at least 400 hours of on-duty time and 240 hours of driving time with an experienced driver in the cab with them. All trucks used for training in the program must be equipped with safety technology including active braking collision mitigation systems, a video event capture system, and a speed governor set at 65 miles per hour or below.