Trucking Careers · Nationwide · November 7, 2026

Ended Under-21 Pilot Had 76 Apprentices Through June 2025

By Big Rig Daily Staff

The Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program enrolled 76 apprentices through June 2025, according to an updated Congressional Research Service report dated Nov. 3, 2026. The pilot concluded in November 2025. It is not an active enrollment opportunity, and the 76 figure is not a verified final total for the whole program. Sources: Congressional Research Service via EveryCRSReport; CDL Life.

The report reviews policy options after the program's conclusion. It describes possible permanent legislation, a new pilot or leaving the program discontinued. Those options are not the same as an enacted replacement program.

Enrollment data have a cutoff

From late 2022 through June 2025, the program received 80 apprentice applications and approved 76. The approved apprentices represented about 2.5% of the 3,000 authorized places. The report also lists 62 approved motor carriers against 1,000 authorized carrier places.

By June 2025, 42 apprentices had completed both probationary periods. The same data cutoff applies to those completion figures. The source notes that the final two quarters had not been published, so the numbers should not be labeled the final outcome after the November conclusion.

The program allowed commercial driver's license holders ages 18 to 20 to operate in interstate commerce under its supervised apprenticeship framework. Its existence did not make every under-21 license holder eligible for unrestricted interstate trucking.

What Congress could consider

The report discusses whether Congress might establish a permanent apprenticeship program, authorize another pilot or keep the previous program discontinued. A discussion of legislative options is not a change to current licensing rules. Applicants and employers should not treat an article about the report as permission to begin interstate work under the ended pilot.

The size of enrollment and the safety evaluation are also different questions. A low number of participants does not, by itself, establish that the program was either safe or unsafe. The report discusses the limits of drawing broader conclusions from a small group.

The step-by-step CDL guide explains the broader licensing path. It does not reopen the ended pilot or authorize under-21 interstate work.

FAQ

Is the under-21 pilot still accepting apprentices?

No. The report says the program concluded in November 2025. This story concerns a later congressional review, not a new application window.

Are 76 apprentices the final pilot total?

No. The report's cumulative data run through June 2025. They are cumulative reported enrollment through that point, not a verified total through the program's final months.

What evidence should lawmakers require before deciding whether to authorize another under-21 interstate pilot?

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