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March 30, 2000 9:50 AM, EST

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — A proposal to allow drivers under age 21 to operate trucks in interstate commerce — if well-trained — appears to be osing momentum.

A Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration official said the agency plans to take its time reviewing the proposal, which is opposed by truck safety groups and even some in trucking.

“We want to take a close look at it. We want to make sure that doesn’t make things less safe than they are now,” said John MacGowan, director of the agency’s Office of Truck and Bus Safety.

FMSCA wants to look at the following areas:

• The qualification of the instructors for the proposed program.
• Whether apprentice drivers would be paid less than experienced drivers.
• What the safety records are of younger drivers operating in intrastate commerce.

For the full story, see the Mar. 27 print edition of Transport Topics. .