Are we safe with truckers now?

[petef]

They got way faster moves. USAF has video games to recruit new people at air shows. I got in line once to play the game, a guy asked me how old I was, I told him, he said this is for recruits.. I get it, I have a cousin who is Top Gun now training navy pilots.
Move over, let them get the work done moving goods done that is needed..

I was a pretty good driver at 16. many years on a tractor or dirt bike before that.

You are in CA. As soon as they can unload those ships they can tax them. This looks like a good solution as opposed to training college grads..

Peter

Originally Posted by Scubawise

These California High Schoolers Are Training to Drive 18-Wheelers
These California High Schoolers Are Training to Drive 18-Wheelers. https://report.drudgenow.com/article...1&pn=Anonymous

[EA37TS]

Originally Posted by mstng

He may agree…But they were not 18 years old. Jeez, is this even a discussion. With an 18 year old it’s almost a given they will be involved in an accident. Maybe not their fault but something that could have been prevented….with more experience.

And this is based on what verified study? I had two that went through the teens with no tickets and no accidents.

If someone doesn’t trust the truckers or other drivers on the road maybe they should find another form of transportation.

[petef]

I know 18 year old log truck drivers. You are mistaking statistics for 18 year old party teenager's. Yes, younger is less experience but there agility and learning exceed. I do not worry about the ones coming at me and the most are passing me from the rear.

You can join the Army at 18 and drive a fighter jet or tank. The USA is screwed by logistics right now, why not employee the young guns! Def better then Mcd's money wize.. We trust CA choose wisely to the applicants.

I guess that is what was thinking.

I wanna go back to CA as soon as it stops burning up. I'll pay the $5 gallon, they got really nice stuff to see.

Originally Posted by EA37TS

And this is based on what verified study? I had two that went through the teens with no tickets and no accidents.

If someone doesn’t trust the truckers or other drivers on the road maybe they should find another form of transportation.

[mstng]

Originally Posted by EA37TS

And this is based on what verified study? I had two that went through the teens with no tickets and no accidents.

If someone doesn’t trust the truckers or other drivers on the road maybe they should find another form of transportation.

2 teens that didn’t get tickets hardly exemplifies the risk younger inexperienced drivers have. Studies? Insurance companies don’t just make up their rates. Google it.

[ducksface]

So...
At 19 years of age
They have 125,000 miles of experience
Just like the 18 year old truck drivers
In
1921.

Nothing,
Nada
Zilch
Zero
Zip
Has changed in 100 years since the very day licenses were required(and a millennia before that.)

Why is this a conversation?
It's kinda weird.

[Jimbo56]

Within 2 years we’ll have driverless tractor trailers running long haul. Not sure how fueling will be handled. But the thought of this scares me to death!

[Bob Denman]

If you maintain "Situational Awareness": you'll be just fine!

[Calico]

Originally Posted by Scubawise

These California High Schoolers Are Training to Drive 18-Wheelers
These California High Schoolers Are Training to Drive 18-Wheelers. https://report.drudgenow.com/article...1&pn=Anonymous

It's nothing new. I'm in my 60's but while in highschool, I attended a vocational satellite school where, while the rest of my girlfriends trained for Beauty School or Food Services, I took behind-the-wheel tractor-trailer driving. I was 17 at the time. Couldn't back around the pylons to save my life, but had a blast learning to drive those 18-wheelers. We were trained by retired truckers, but 50 years ago, the caliber of truckers was very different than today.
Had I stuck with it, I would have been an excellent truck driver, like my daddy. If nothing else, I can launch our boat like a Boss!

[ducksface]

Originally Posted by Calico

It's nothing new. I'm in my 60's but while in highschool, I attended a vocational satellite school where, while the rest of my girlfriends trained for Beauty School or Food Services, I took behind-the-wheel tractor-trailer driving. I was 17 at the time....!

I'm surprised they let you take the class as a girl.
I was allowed to take typing, but not shorthand.
Shorthand was girls only.

[71_340]

With the supply shortages that apparently affect every sector oft he economy right now and is at least partially based on a truck driver shortage somebody has to haul our goods.

We just have to be even more vigilant while driving and look out for the other guy.

[DaveDopp]

Originally Posted by EA37TS

[snipped]
If a teenager is old enough to vote or to die for their country they are definitely old enough to drive a truck or fly a plane for that matter.

I strongly disagree regarding driving a truck! The majority of 18-year-olds simply lack the maturity to handle the responsibility of driving commercially. Most people below the age of 25 have a firm conviction they are 9 feet tall and bulletproof!

Aside from the emotional aspects, most psychologists agree the brain does not physically mature until age 25 (on average.) Here's a good article. https://mentalhealthdaily.com/2015/0...lly-developed/

In my opinion, the minimum age for a commercial license ought to be 25.

[racefan]

Originally Posted by Skip500

3 weeks on the road and almost 4000 miles. Retired truck driver. The brotherhood of the road is gone. No consideration for anyone else on the road, avoided numerous accidents with beserk truck drivers all over the road and not able to hold their lane. Sigh, it sure is a shame. I miss the older days!

I agree. Retired truck driver also. 41 years of hauling hazardous materials. With the quality of drivers out there (at least on the west coast) I’m ashamed to tell people what I did.

[Lt Keefer]

Originally Posted by DaveDopp

I strongly disagree regarding driving a truck! The majority of 18-year-olds simply lack the maturity to handle the responsibility of driving commercially. Most people below the age of 25 have a firm conviction they are 9 feet tall and bulletproof!

Aside from the emotional aspects, most psychologists agree the brain does not physically mature until age 25 (on average.) Here's a good article. https://mentalhealthdaily.com/2015/0...lly-developed/

In my opinion, the minimum age for a commercial license ought to be 25.

Yet a 21 year old person can be trained to fly an F-22 fighter or B-1 bomber? Choose the leader of the free world? Your point of view is troubling to me.

[Chateau_Nomad]

Originally Posted by Lt Keefer

Yet a 21 year old person can be trained to fly an F-22 fighter or B-1 bomber? Choose the leader of the free world? Your point of view is troubling to me.

You make a great point. However, the military is just a tad more selective in who they let jump into the cockpit of a 300+ million dollar taxpayer-funded aircraft.

Maybe we're ignoring the elephant in the room here... could it be the training and selection of "appropriate" individuals?

Then... you DRASTICALLY cut the driver candidate pool to a trickle. So then you're back to "lowering the entry barrier" to increase the number of artificially eligible candidates.

The day we start doing this to increase the pool of brain surgeons - we are ALL in serious trouble.

[Metalman]

It's like to see less long haul trucks and more freight trains. Maybe this is the time to make the change?

[Hooligan2]

I haven't noticed a problem. (Dash cam in Atlanta last week) At 4mph a 12 year old could get a CDL.

[Metalman]

I taught driver education for 18 years. Most of my students had no problem with basic driving skills, but inadequate experience, lack of common sense, and poor attitudes were an impediment to safe driving. It takes years of driving before in can benefit from experience.