Why 21?

[tjv189]

Hello all, I don't want it to sound like posting this is a way for me to complain, but I seriously want to know, being someone who turns 21 in a few weeks, why do you have to be 21 to drive a truck interstate? I know it is a federal law, but why is it? I have wanted to get into the field for over a year now and had to wait, and I'm still waiting. I've done my research. But can someone please explain to me why you only have to be 18 to serve in the military (which requires much more responsibility and discipline than MANY careers), vote, and buy tobacco or even pornography, but you have to be 21 to drive a commercial vehicle out of your state?

Sorry for sounding like a cry baby, but I just don't understand this law and was hoping you guys could fill me in on the details of the law. Thanks in advance.

[GMAN]

At 21 you are considered an adult. By the time you have reached 21 you have driven a car for a few years and hopefully attained a higher level of maturity. The younger you are the greater likelihood you will be in an auto related accident, according to an article I recently read. Younger people are more likely to have behavior which is more risky than those who are a little older. By the way, although you can legally drive interstate at 21, most carriers won't hire you until you are at least 23 years old, due to insurance requirements. Some require 25 as the minimum age. Insurance companies use statistics which tell them specific characteristics someone should have for them to have a lower level of risk. Age happens to be one of those characteristics. My insurance company will cover a driver with 2 years experience as long as they are at least 25 years old. I can hire a driver at 23 provided they have at least 3 years of experience. The risks are too great to hire a driver who cannot be insured. It may not sound fair to you, but that is the way things are today. Insurance companies don't like to pay out claims. :?

[tjv189]

I might as well forget about it then, I'm only going to be 21. Do the ones that say their minimum age requirement is 21 still only hire at 23 usually? If so, they should just say that so us 21 year olds don't get our hopes up. But if what you said is true, I guess I'm screwed.

[MADLUX]

At lease you only a few weeks aways, I have a year before I turn 21.

Personally, other than insurance companies I don't see why the limit is 21, the government considers us adults at 18, we can vote, serve our country, but we cant drive.

[millersod215]

Here's one for you, i went to Roadmaster at 19 and have been driving ever since. Thank God for me that there was a local company that was willing to give me a chance, and i've pretty much been with them ever since, besides the time i thought i wanted to be an OTR driver, which sounds a lot better than it really is. What i'm getting at, you might not want to get yourself all discouraged, do some research on company's in your area and you might find out you have a chance. It's worht a shot, and some people might wonder how i've been driving since 19, and no i'm not some old timer, i'm only 23, but you only have to be 21 to cross state lines in a commercial vehicle, keep it in the state and you're good to go. By the way, i haul sod 5 days a week, home nights and off weekends, and regularly bring home 600 dollars or more, some people might laugh at that, but that's all i need, and i'm one of a handful of drivers who are actually happy with what their doing. Keep your head up, there is hope, just search it out.

[GMAN]

I don't want to discourage you from pursuing your dream. There are companies who may hire younger drivers. I am talking primarily about over the road carriers. When you first start out, the most important thing you need to do is gain some solid experience. By all means start talking to potential companies. You may even start out driving a dump truck. There are some who pull trailers with dumps. Some of those may be able to hire someone who is younger. I started driving an 18 wheeler before I was 21. In fact, I believe I was 19. I started driving a straight truck at 18 and 18 wheelers about 1 year later. That is the way I started, along with many others. We didn't have driving schools back then. Most people learned on the job. I think I am a better driver because of the way I initial learned to drive a truck. There is no reason you couldn't do the same thing. You just need to get your CDL and start driving.

[madii'swife]

In my personal search for companies for my husband I have come across more than one of the "big" starter companies that at least claim to hire starting at 21. Hubby is 29 so this hasn't been a big issue for us, but I have noticed. Among the ones who list it on their website:

TransAm
KLLM
Schneider
Werner
FFE

I know there are more of the big companies that will, just can't think of more right now. I am definitely NOT recommending some of these companies as they all have their bigtime issues, just wanted to make them available.
GMAN, not trying to argue, just had run into these along our journey.

[GMAN]

GMAN, not trying to argue, just had run into these along our journey.

No need to argue, madii'swife. I am glad you mentioned them. It could help others who want to start at a younger age. Some of these carriers probably self insure up to a high level to keep premiums low so they can afford to hire younger, inexperienced drivers. Most carrier's with whom I am most familiar require 23-25 years of age to be eligible for hire, including my own insurance company. Everyone needs to have a starting point.

[jjh1001]

As long as you are willing to go with the big companies such as swift schnieder etc. then 21 will be ok... its the better smaller carriers that usually have the higher age due to insurance... the mega carriers a lot of times are self insured so they are willing to take the younger age.

[BIG JEEP on 44's]

So you don't need to carry a fake I.D. while driving a commercial vehicle ,As you will legally be able to purchase your BOOZE .

[slol]

I drive long haul at 22. My company told me they were hesistant about my age at first but they gave me a shot anyway (I already had my license), and it turned out they were fine with it. I'm not sure what it means for their insurance, though. I'm also pretty happy with them, im paid well and best of all I feel like I'm treated with complete respect even though some people are quite literally 3 times my age. :shock:

If you are serious about it, just call around to different companies and ask. Also, driving schools might be able to tell you if they know any companies that hire at 21, since they probably have dealt with that before.

ps. to the above post about smaller carriers... my company only has a couple dozen trucks total, most being O/O, so definitely don't count out the smaller carriers.

[robertt]

EXPERIENCE, EXPERIENCE, EXPERIENCE!!! Driving a truck isn't like driving a car, so once you get the experience that someone decided was about 5yrs after getting your liscense at 16 normally, then you have enough time under your belt to get into a truck. Also it gives some, not all, people time to grow up, (mature), a little bit. Now when people ask me how I drive a truck in traffic and bad weather and such, I tell them it's just like driving a car to me because I have quite a bit experience in both and I'm just as comfortable in one as I am in the other. Just my .02 worth.

[tjv189]

I know experience is important, but getting the experience seems to be the problem. No wonder there is such a shortage of drivers out there, no one will take a chance to train a potential young driver at age 21. You can't tell me you can be old enough to die for your country at age 18 but you are still not old enough to drive a truck. That is just rediculous.

[bikerboy]

It's 18 to drive in canada, but most long haul companies want 21 or older. Kinda sucks, but i started driving local when i was 18 and been driving ever since, i'm almost 22 now.

[BanditsCousin]

I drive long haul at 22. My company told me they were hesistant about my age at first but they gave me a shot anyway (I already had my license), and it turned out they were fine with it. I'm not sure what it means for their insurance, though. I'm also pretty happy with them, im paid well and best of all I feel like I'm treated with complete respect even though some people are quite literally 3 times my age. :shock:

Good point Slol! I started as an o/o at 22 and United was VERY hesitant to qualify me. They took a chance that paid off too

[BanditsCousin]

I might as well forget about it then, I'm only going to be 21.

Never gonna get anywhere with that attitude :wink: Plenty of companies hire 21 year olds, but by "plenty" I definitely do not mean the majority. Take a look at the jobs here on CAD and you can compare them in ascedning order pay/min age/felonies/etc.

Don't give up, unless you don't wanna drive an 18 wheeler. Where theres a will, theres a way!

[Mackman]

I got my class A at 18. Driven ever since. I was driving tri axles dumps with tag along trailers. My dad is a O/O he had to put in some good words for me to get the job i had. I just turn 23 two weeks ago and still driven. I think that 21 stuff is all BS. At 18 you have to pass the same test to get your class A as some one who is 21 or 35. So why cant you do what they can at 18?

[tjv189]

mackman, I agree with you completely. You make good points. I don't think you become THAT much more responsible from age 18 to 21, at least not enough that you could drive a rig at 21 but not 18. As long as you can pass the CDL tests and demonstrate you can safely drive a rig, you should only have to be 18 to be hired and drive interstate. It doesn't make any sense whatsoever.

[Mackman]

mackman, I agree with you completely. You make good points. I don't think you become THAT much more responsible from age 18 to 21, at least not enough that you could drive a rig at 21 but not 18. As long as you can pass the CDL tests and demonstrate you can safely drive a rig, you should only have to be 18 to be hired and drive interstate. It doesn't make any sense whatsoever.

I think the same way you do but i had to do my time like your going to have to do. It sucks but just cuzs its a law doesn't make it right. By the way if you do get a driving job don't go out of state i live in PA and went to MD got stop by DOT got 1200 fine and put me OOS. Had to get another driver to come get the truck. Lucky i want to court and the cop never showed up so i didn't have to pay the fine.

[BanditsCousin]

I grew up a lot between 18 and 21. Some people don't have the ability to encounter a lot of "adult" situations by by 18,19, or even 20. Other, however have, and may be more mature, responsible, and educated.

However, I think anyone in the army should be able to drink at 18 if they are willing to put their life on the line (as stated farrr above) 8)