The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recently announced it will award $48 million in grant funding to increase CDL driver training opportunities and to continue improving the process to obtain a CDL.
According to a news release, the funding is aimed at improving the resiliency of the national supply chain and strengthening America’s trucking workforce.
“Every day, we all count on food, clothing, medicine and other goods that reach us thanks to America’s truck drivers,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. “With these grants, we are helping states bring more well-trained drivers into this essential field, strengthening our supply chains for years to come.”
FMCSA is awarding more than $44 million to states and other entities to operate national CDL programs through the Commercial Driver’s License Program Implementation grant.
This will help states expedite CDL issuance and renewals and ensure states electronically exchange conviction and disqualification data.
It also will implement regulatory safety requirements supporting the National Roadway Safety Strategy and will develop human trafficking outreach and education materials for CDL drivers. Examples of projects funded include hiring state personnel to reduce CDL skills testing delays, improving CDL reporting, maintaining accurate driver records and training CDL skills test examiners.
Thanks to the more than $3 million investment from President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training grant recipients will increase their capacity to train veterans and their family members, individuals from underserved and refugee communities and other Americans to safely operate CMVs, obtain CDLs and enter the truck- and bus-driving profession.
“This essential funding provided through the (Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training) grant program will help expand and diversify the pool of trained drivers, with an important focus on attracting veterans and individuals from underserved and refugee communities,” FMCSA Administrator Robin Hutcheson said in statement. “We’re proud that these grants are giving priority to current and former members of the U.S. Armed Forces, including National Guard, Reservists and their family members, to pursue a commercial driver’s license.” LL
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