Only 76 drivers ages 18 to 20 were approved for the FMCSA driver apprenticeship program in the year 2025, leaving Congress to determine the future of the program.
The 76 drivers were approved between January 2025 and June 2025, making for only 3.5% of the 3,000 drivers allowed to enter the program that year. Only 62 motor carriers of the 1,000 allowed were entered into the program during the same time period. Of the 76 approved apprentices, only 42 had completed all required probationary period.
The 2025 applications are a massive decline from the program’s start in 2023, when 229 applications were submitted.
As a result of these numbers, “Congress may consider various policy options regarding the program. Congress could establish a permanent apprenticeship program, initiate a new pilot program, or discontinue SDAP. If Congress is satisfied with the results of SDAP, Congress could establish a permanent apprenticeship program, taking into consideration alignment between DOT and DOL to improve the administrative efficiency of apprenticeships,” Congress wrote.
“Alternatively, Congress could direct DOT to initiate a new pilot program based on the findings from related studies and reports. If Congress decides not to authorize a new pilot program, under 21-aged CMV drivers would not be allowed to participate in interstate commerce pursuant to existing regulatory standards.”
The ATA has petitioned to extend the program for five years, but no final decision on the petition has been reached.
