WASHINGTON – The federal government has provided millions of dollars to 27 community colleges across the country to improve training for new and existing truck drivers and veterans.
The $3.5 million in competitive grants awarded by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training (CMVOST) grant program are aimed at increasing the number of CDL holders who have received advanced driver safety training, with a focus on helping active or former military personnel and their spouses transition into a career in the transportation industry, according to FMCSA.
The scholarship winners received an average of $130,000.
“FMCSA is all about safety – that includes the safety of our roadways and the safety of our nation’s commercial vehicle drivers,” FMCSA Deputy Commissioner Vinn White said in a press release.
“We are proud to provide these funds and want to work with the award winners to ensure they are used wisely, making it easier for drivers to enter and stay in the CMV industry.”
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the funding is part of the Biden administration’s 2021 Trucking Action Plan to meet demand for better-trained truck drivers and “strengthen America’s supply chains.”
More than 50% of FMCSA’s annual budget is provided to states to promote CMV safety, the agency said, including through its CMVOST grant program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. FMCSA also provides funds through other discretionary grant programs, such as the High Priority Grants Program and the Commercial Driver’s License Program Implementation Grant.
Clark State College in Springfield, Ohio, which received a $126,000 CMVOST grant, will use the money to recruit more students for its CDL program, said U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio).
“Training more commercial truck drivers helps meet local skilled labor needs and equips Ohioans with the skills they need for careers in transportation and other industries,” Brown said in a statement. “With this investment in Clark State College’s commercial driver’s license program, we are expanding opportunities for Ohioans to get good-paying jobs.”
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