Community colleges and training institutes will receive $3.1 million through the Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training Grant Program, awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
The grants are set aside to help current and former members of the Armed Forces receive the training they need to pursue careers in trucking, according to an Aug. 2 news release.
“Veterans know how to get things where they need to go safely,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in the release. “At a time when our supply chain depends on having more qualified truck drivers, this program will give those who have served in uniform a new and important way to contribute, and benefit, by launching a new career in this vital industry.”
The grant program wants to expand the number of people who have CDLs licenses and make sure they have received enhanced operator safety training, the release reported. It also aims to create more opportunities to current or former military members and their spouses to enter trucking or bussing. Thirdly, it wants to increase training opportunities for candidates from underserved communities.
For the current fiscal year, the agency hasn’t required applicants to propose a local matching share of funding, according to the release. The grant program should allow a higher number of qualified candidates from across the country to more easily afford the training and licensing.
The release reported the Biden-Harris administration announced the Trucking Action Plan earlier this year. In addition to grants, the plan also created new apprenticeship programs to recruit people to become truck drivers.
