In an effort to appease the industry demand for more drivers, Congress created the Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot (SDAP) Program, permitting some drivers under 21 years of age to get behind the wheel of a semi-truck to start their careers.

The SDAP was created by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) as instructed by the Bipartisan Instracture Law passed in 2021. The program, though, initially went through some struggles and changes.

Participation was low and rejections of young drivers was high. Concerns about safety and regulation were made by opponents of the initiative, and as many as 34% of under-21 driver applications were rejected by the agency.

Supporters of the initiative pointed to the extensive training and mentorship opportunities offered by the program, which would allow younger adults to safely operate commercial motor vehicles. Training includes the standard CDL education of safety procedures, vehicle maintenance, classroom learning, and real-world experience.

The program was revised earlier this year to make it easier for aspiring drivers to enroll in the program. This includes removal of the onerous requirement that under-21 drivers be monitored by an inward-facing camera.

After a rocky start, the SDAP is beginning to see an uptick in participation. The FMCSA promises to continue to track the SDAP program’s success, collecting information on overall efficacy, driver performance, and safety. Future policy choices about the employment of younger drivers in interstate trucking will be influenced by this data.

Whether or not 18-year-olds could potentially expand into fully-legal interstate CDL drivers will depend upon the success of this program. We will see.