The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Monday, Aug. 26, announced awards totaling nearly $3.5 million to 27 colleges and other commercial driver’s license (CDL) training programs through the agency’s Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training (CMVOST) Grant Program.
“The Biden-Harris Administration’s investments in training and support for Commercial Driver’s License holders will help meet the nation’s growing demand for truck drivers and better prepare for the future,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “The funding we’re announcing today is an important part of this Administration’s Trucking Action Plan to strengthen America’s supply chains and support the workers who keep our economy moving.”
According to a statement from the FMCSA, the CMVOST grant program has three goals:
- to expand the number of CDL holders possessing enhanced operator safety training
- to provide opportunities for current or former members of the United States Armed Forces (including National Guard members and reservists) and certain family members to enter the trucking or busing industry as drivers
- to help increase the training opportunities for candidates from rural, refugee, and underserved communities.
“At FMCSA, our job is all about safety – that includes safety of the roadways and safety of our nation’s commercial motor vehicle drivers,” said FMCSA Deputy Administrator Vinn White. “So, we are proud to make this funding available, and are committed to working with the awardees to put it to good use, making it easier for drivers to enter into and stay in the CMV industry.”
In total, more than 50% of FMCSA’s annual budget provides states and local communities with funding to promote CMV safety. In addition to the CMVOST grant program, FMCSA also provides funding through its other discretionary grant programs such as the High Priority Grants Program and the Commercial Driver’s License Program Implementation Grant. Collectively, these programs also support implementation of the Department’s National Roadway Safety Strategy.
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