Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon (D-Utica/Rome) announced that legislation she co-sponsored to establish a young adult training program for qualified 18- to 20-year-olds to obtain a class A commercial driver’s license (CDL) has passed the Assembly (A.6295-A).

“Truck drivers have long played an instrumental role in keeping our economy running. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic they were essential as they worked tirelessly to transport necessary products across the state and country,” Buttenschon said. “However, the industry is struggling with a severe driver shortage that is making it increasingly difficult to meet growing demands and hurting many small, local businesses. The legislation that I championed would address this issue by expanding the hiring pool and allowing qualified young adults to take advantage of these good-paying jobs.”

According to the Trucking Association of New York, the trucking industry provides more than 285,000 jobs in the state. However, growing recruitment and retention issues over the years has led to a 50,000-driver shortage and it’s estimated that the industry will have to hire 890,000 drivers over the next 10 years in order to remain operating smoothly.

Currently, New York State permits 18- to 20-year-olds to obtain a CDL class B license to drive within state lines. However, these same drivers are unable to obtain a CDL class A license and therefore can’t operate tractor-trailers and other large vehicles. This legislation would allow these young adults to participate in a training program and learn the necessary safety protocols so they can earn their class A license.

To view the Assemblywoman speaking on this bill, please visit: https://drive.google.com/file/d/15tkbQyBmqZnBQg8zfzOEq2XK7iByL23T/view?usp=sharing