MSCI, DRIVE Safe Coalition Support Legislation To Reduce Truck Driver Shortage

In mid-June, MSCI joined the DRIVE Safe Coalition to send a letter to leaders of the Senate Commerce Committee calling for inclusion of The DRIVE Safe Act in surface transportation reauthorization legislation.

The DRIVE Safe Act would create a path for drivers under 21 to obtain an interstate commercial driver’s license through an apprenticeship program that requires driver apprentices to complete two probationary periods that include 400 hours of on-duty time and 240 hours of driving time with an experienced driver in the cab. The legislation has bipartisan support in both the House and Senate and would help the U.S. supply chain by helping address the nation’s current driver shortage.

The letter said, “Seventy percent of the nation’s freight is carried by commercial trucks, and, while demand is projected to increase over the next decade, the threat posed by the driver shortage stands to disrupt the continuity of the supply chain. This is especially problematic as the nation and our economy recover from the tremendous impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Want to help this legislation become law? Send a letter to your member of Congress here.

Learn more about the DRIVE Safe Act here.