LaHood bill would bolster U.S. trucking industry workforce

U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL) introduced a bipartisan bill that would support the trucking and foodservice industries that operate as economic engines in his home state of Illinois and around the country by ramping up the trucking industry workforce.

“As I travel across my district, I hear repeatedly from employers about the challenge of finding and retaining personnel to meet demand,” Rep. LaHood said. “This bipartisan legislation will provide high-skilled, lucrative career prospects in the trucking industry for interested individuals, and expand the pool of applicants allowing businesses of all sizes to grow and hire qualified and safety-trained drivers.”

Rep. LaHood on March 10 signed on as an original cosponsor of the Developing Responsible Individuals for a Vibrant Economy (DRIVE-Safe) Act, H.R. 1745, with bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Trey Hollingsworth (R-IN) and seven other cosponsors, including U.S. Reps. Troy Balderson (R-OH) and Henry Cuellar (D-TX), to direct the U.S. Transportation Secretary to issue regulations relating to commercial motor vehicle drivers under the age of 21. 

According to Rep. LaHood’s office, recent estimates suggest trucking companies will need to hire an additional 1.1 million drivers over the next several years to keep up with the rate of retiring drivers, among other factors, such as conflicting state and federal regulations.

For instance, 49 states, including Illinois, currently allow commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) to be issued to drivers at the age of 18, but federal regulation restricts CDL-holding drivers from operating across state lines until they are 21, according to Rep. LaHood’s office. 

If enacted, H.R. 1745 would allow employers to provide CDL holders below the age of 21 with an extensive training program that would allow them to safely participate in interstate commerce upon completion, says a bill summary provided by the congressman’s office.

The legislation has been endorsed by the Illinois Trucking Association, the International Foodservice Distributors Association, and American Trucking Associations.