Efforts to improve road safety and streamline the process for getting a Commercial Drivers License (CDL) are getting a $44 million assist, thanks to grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
The grants, awarded through the Commercial Driver’s License Program Implementation, will help states and other entities license more qualified truck drivers to meet supply chain demands by making the CDL program more efficient, the DOT stated in its July 20 announcement. Improvements include reducing wait times, making sure disqualification information is exchanged electronically, enforcement of regulatory requirements and efforts to combat human trafficking, according to the DOT.
The Department of Transportation made significant progress working with states to reduce CDL backlogs and wait times," the agency states in the announcement. "Now through this funding, the Administration will create long-term resilience and avoid future delays for those who want to join this workforce."
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttegieg said that keeping truck drivers in their "important careers" is a priority of the Biden-Harris administration, as is adding additional qualified truck drivers to the workforce.
“Now, using funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are helping States bring safe, well-trained truck drivers into the workforce and ease pandemic-driven supply chain disruptions,” Buttigieg said in the statement.
Issues such as parking shortages and pay rates have made it difficult to retain qualified truck drivers, and these challenges are focus of the DOT's Supply Chain Disruption Task Force, the DOT reports. The DOT states it will conduct a driver-compensation study, form a truck-leasing task force and will clarify which programs in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) can be used to address parking issues.
The BIL also includes a 74% increase in program funds to address the number of roadway fatalities, according to the report.
FMCSA Deputy Administrator Robin Hutcheson said that offices "core mission is safety."
"(W)e’re proud to make investments that support the U.S. Department of Transportation’s ambitious goal of zero fatalities on our roadways,” Hutcheson said. “The grants we are announcing today are an important tool for reducing large truck crashes and supporting critical safety programs in every state.”
