Could teens be the answer to the truck driver shortage?

An instructor at a Las Vegas-area truck driver school believes teenagers may be the solution to the nationwide truck driver shortage.

Abel Garcia reports.

AREA TRUCK DRIVER SCHOOLBELIEVES TEENAGERS MAY BE THESOLUTION TO THENATIONWIDE TRUCK DRIVERSHORTAGE.ABEL GARCIA REPORTS.FROM THE CLOTHES WE WEAR TO THEGROCERIES WEBUY.THESE ESSENTIAL ITEMS ARETRANSPORTED THROUGH THESELARGE COMMERCIAL VEHICLES.

BUTAS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMICFINDING DRIVERS HAS BEMECO APROBLEM."WE HAVE NOTHING IN VEGAS, FOOD,WATER,GAS, ALL OF , ITIT'S DRIVEN IN."BUT THE AGE OF THE TRUCK DRIVERSMAY BE GETTINGYOUNGER.IANNSTRUCTOR AT A-1 TRUCKDRIVER TRAINING, GERONA GODWIN,SAYS TEENAGE DRIVERS MAY BE THELUSOTION TO DELAYEDSHIPPING AND LOW INVENTORY OFSUPPLIES."MORTAR, CEMENT, EVERYTHING TOMAKETHE BEAUTIFUL HOMES, HOTELS, ALLTHAT WE HAVE HERE, IT'S ALLDRIVEN ISONWE WOULD HAVE NOTHING AVAILABLEWITHOUT TRUCKERS."GODWIN HAS BEEN GOING TO MANYHIGH SCHOOL CAERREFAIRS.SHE SAYS WE NEED TO ENCOURAGEYOUNGERGENERATIONS TO CONSIDER THISCAREER PATH.NOT ONLY DOES IT PAY WELL BUTDURING THE SUPPLY CHN AICRISIS, WHEN CONTAINER SHIPS ARESTUCK AT PORTS WAINGTITO BE UNLOADED, SHE SAYS DRIVERSARE DESPERELY ATNEED."BEFORE CORONA WE WOULD GET 1STUDENT A DAY, SO THAT'S 5 AWEEK, TRAINED OVER OUR BRIEFCOURSE ANDSTUFF BETWEEN 3 TO 5 DAYS SOTHEY CAN HIT THE ROAD AND ALLTHAT, GET THEIR NEWJOB, BUT NOW AFTER THE PDEMIC,IT'S ABOUT 1 EVERY OTHER DAY,JUST 3, 3 W NETRUCKERS EACH WEEK."PRESIDENT OF THE NEVADA TRUCKINGASSOCIATION PAULENOS SAYS PART OF THEINFRASTRUCTURE BILL THE SENATEAPPROVEDOULD W ALLOW 18 TO20-YEAR-DSOL TO DRIVE BIG RIGSACROSS STATE LINES.MOST STATES LIKE NEVADA ALLOWPEOPLE UNDER 21 TOET GCOMMERCIAL DRIVERS LICENSE- BUTFEDERAL RUS LECURRENTLY RESTRICT DRIVERS TOONLY WORK WITHINSTATE BORDS.ERENOS SAYS THE YOUNG AGE OF THEDRIVERS SHOULDN'T BE AFACTOR, AS THERE WILBELADEQUATE TRAING."YOU NEED TO HAVE AT LEAST 400HOUROFSAPPRENTICESHIP WITH ANEXPERIENCED DRIVER, YOU HAVE TOHAVE 250 HOURS OFDRIVING, AND OTON P OF THAT YOUNEED TO HAVE A TRUCK EQUIPPEDTHWISAFETY SYSTEMS."ENOS SAYS HE KNOWS SAFETY AISMAJOR CONCERN, BUTTHESE DRIVERS WILL BE TRAINEDPROPERLY BEFORE STEPPINGFOOT INSIDE OF THESE TRUS.CK"BEING ABLE TO GO IN AND ATTRACTTHATNEW POOL A HAVNDE THATADDITIONAL PIPELINE OF DRIVERSBEING ABLE TO COMEINTO OUR SYSTEM WOULD BEEXTREMELY BENEFICIAL RIGHT NOWTO THETRUCKING INDUSTRY, TO THE SUPPLYCHAIN, AND THE ECONOMY AS AWHOLE."THE MOST MAGICAL PLACE ON EARTHIS NOW A LITTLE