The Teamsters are not mincing words.
At a hearing held on Nov. 17, by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which is looking into supply chain issues, the union voided its opinion as to the problem at hand. Truckers are not getting paid properly and they are not being treated well by the trucking companies.
If these issues aren't corrected, the union predicts a continuation of the current state of goods being shipped.
The Teamsters said, "lawmakers must push companies to improve wages and working conditions for truck drivers as they seek solutions to upgrade the movement of goods across the country instead of considering industry proposals like allowing teenagers to drive big rigs that would only endanger motorists nationwide."
The union is referring to the DRIVE-Safe Act, introduced in Congress in 2018 and reintroduced this year. If enacted, it would open a way for 18-20 year-olds to drive in interstate operations.
“Truckers continue to be taken for granted by big business even after all the work they did to keep America running during the most difficult days of the coronavirus pandemic,” Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa said, in a statement. “Opening up the industry to inexperienced teenage drivers will allow companies to take advantage of them while also making traveling more unsafe.”
Others have voiced concern over the safety of younger drivers. In an article on MH&L by David Sparkman, The American Transportation Research Institute is working on the problem and believes researchers have come up with what is a realistic solution.
