In The News
More Money for Truck Driver Training
I have daily conversations with drivers who are looking for ways to get into the trucking or expedite industry, and those discussions can sometimes be frustrating on both ends when the prospective drivers just don’t have what it takes to get started. And what it takes is often just the simple desire, or financial backing, to step into a classroom and obtain the driver training that is currently required by the transportation industry.
Well, help is on the way as the federal government has recently released millions of dollars to 27 community colleges across the United States to help boost training for new and current truck drivers as well as military veterans looking to enter the world of truck driving.
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 aims to increase the number of CDL holders who have received enhanced operator safety training, with a focus on helping current or former members of the military and their spouses transition into trucking careers.
What Does This Mean?
The 27 grant award winners will receive an average of $130,000.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says that the funding is a part of the Biden administration’s Trucking Action Plan, which was created in 2021 as a way to meet the demands for better-trained truck drivers.
More than 50% of FMCSA’s annual budget provides funding for states to promote commercial motor vehicle safety programs, according to the agency, including through its CMVOST grant program, which was authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. FMCSA also provides funding through other discretionary grant programs, such as the High Priority Grants Program and the Commercial Driver’s License Program Implementation Grant.
Effects on State and Local Programs
I’m an Ohioan, born and raised, and despite a two-year hiatus to the sunny shores of Florida, I’ve kept my finger on the pulse of what the transportation industry has done (or continues to do) within the Buckeye State.
Clark State College in Springfield, Ohio received a $126,000 CMVOST grant, and will use the money to recruit more students into its CDL program. This, according to United States Senator Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio.
“Training more commercial vehicle drivers helps meet local demand for skilled workers and equips Ohioans with the skills they need for careers in trucking 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.”
So, while my daily recruiting conversations will mainly continue to revolve around those drivers who are vets and seasoned by their experience in the industry, the notion that there is additional assistance on the way for those looking to finally enter the sandbox and play with the rest of us, allows me the opportunity to have more constructive discussions with those folks. Providing transportation solutions is really what the industry, general trucking and expedite, prides itself on. And so, do I.