BILL NUMBER: S8057A

SPONSOR: RITCHIE
 
TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the transportation law, in relation to
establishing a commercial driver's license (CDL) class A young adult
licensing pilot program

 
PURPOSE:

This bill will create a pilot program to allow young drivers 18 to 20
years of age to operate commercial vehicles within intrastate commerce,
as is allowed in 48 other states.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 adds new subdivision 36 to section 14 of the transportation
law, directing the NYS Commissioner of Transportation to establish the
CDL class A young adult licensing program, in consultation with NYS
Department of Motor Vehicles. Drivers between the ages of 18 and 21 will
be able to receive a class A CDL to operate commercial vehicles within
intrastate commerce, within the restrictions established by this subdi-
              

vision and those set by the commissioner of transportation.

Section 2 provides the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

New York's Commercial Drivers are the backbone of the state's economy,
with the trucking industry responsible for more than 275,000 jobs, or 1
out of 27 in the state, paying wages in excess of $13.6 billion annual-
ly, according to the American Transportation Research Institute.

Unfortunately, New York's trucking industry is finding it increasingly
difficult to recruit commercial drivers to supply the state's 38,580
trucking companies, most of them small, locally owned businesses.

An analysis commissioned by the American Trucking Association concluded
that as of the end of 2017 the industry had a 50,000-driver shortage.
With the industry estimating it needs to hire 890,000 drivers over the
next 10 years.

The average of age of a private carrier driver is 52 and according to
the Bureau of Labor statistics only 6% of drivers are women. The indus-
try needs young people and women to offset the driver shortage.

Meanwhile, with companies facing increasing costs for insurance, workers
compensation, and safety issues, the industry is insisting on stricter
standards to improve the quality of the drivers on the road.

Currently 48 states allow 18 to 21 year olds to drive Class 8 trucks
within state lines. A young adult commercial driver's license pilot
program that would allow 18 to 20-year-olds to drive in New York could
help attract more young people into the field.

Granting graduates of the pilot program Class A commercial driver's
licenses, with the stipulation that they cannot drive after 9 p.m. or
before 5 a.m., would help more people enter the field at a critical time
in their lives when many are choosing their profession.  Moreover, by

having the experience of driving Class A trucks at a younger age the
ability to reach higher wage levels will be expedited.

The commissioner would have an opportunity to report to the legislature
and the governor in 2021 on the results of the pilot program. The report
would show how many became fully licensed at 21 and whether the pilot
project revealed any safety concerns, including numbers of accidents and
traffic violations.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.