DOT Awards Funding to Community Colleges to Prepare Veterans for Jobs in Trucking

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration FMCSA) has awarded $3.1 million to community colleges and training institutes through the Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training (CMVOST) Grant Program. These grants will assist current and former members of the Armed Forces who want to pursue careers in trucking to get commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) and the training they need to enter the profession.

“Veterans know how to get things where they need to go safely. 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,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. 

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 their spouses to enter trucking or bussing; and help increase training opportunities for candidates from underserved communities, as identified in the President’s Executive Order 13985.

In FY 2022, FMCSA paved the way for a broader range of institutions to apply for CMVOST grants as the Agency did not require applicants to propose a local matching share of funding. This expansion will allow more qualified candidates from across the country to more easily be able to afford the training and licensing needed to join the trucking profession commercial motor vehicle drivers.

In addition to these grants, the Biden-Harris Administration announced the Trucking Action Plan earlier this year that has created new apprenticeship programs to recruit more truck drivers, as well as a compensation study and truck leasing task force to improve retention in the truck driving profession.

A list of CMVOST grants can be found here.

The President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, also known as the Investment in Infrastructure and Jobs Act, is the Biden-Harris Administration’s plan for building a better America with a $1.2 trillion investment in our nation’s infrastructure and competitiveness. This Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal will rebuild America’s roads, bridges and rails, upgrade and expand public transit, modernize the nation’s ports and airports, improve safety, tackle the climate crisis, advance environmental justice, and invest in communities that have too often been left behind. It will drive the creation of good-paying union jobs and grow the economy sustainably and equitably to help everyone get ahead for decades to come. 

Link to FMCSA article