FMCSA Awards $3.5 Million for CDL Training at 27 Schools
In August 2024, FMCSA funded safety training for drivers, with priority for veterans and rural, refugee and underserved communities.
In August 2024, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced nearly $3.5 million in grants to 27 colleges and other commercial driver's license (CDL) training programs. The August 26, 2024 announcement covered the agency's Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training (CMVOST) grant program, which pays for added training for current CDL holders and for new drivers entering the industry.
What the program is for
FMCSA listed three goals for CMVOST:
- expanding the number of CDL holders who have enhanced operator safety training;
- helping current and former members of the U.S. Armed Forces, including National Guard members and reservists, and certain family members enter trucking or busing as drivers;
- increasing training opportunities for candidates from rural, refugee and underserved communities.
The agency's award summary described the program as funding enhanced training in the safe use of commercial motor vehicles, with priority for current or former service members and their spouses.
Who received the money
Almost all of the 27 recipients were community and technical colleges. The award summary listed a total of $3.5 million, with individual awards ranging from $101,000 for Lone Star College-North Harris in Texas to $139,980 for Johnson County Community College in Kansas.
Texas had the most recipients, with five: Collin County Community College District, Houston Community College, Lone Star College-North Harris, North Central Texas College and Texas State Technical College. Iowa had four: Des Moines Area Community College, Hawkeye Community College, Iowa Central Community College and Western Iowa Tech Community College. Maryland had three: Cecil College, the Community College of Baltimore County and Wor-Wic Community College.
Other recipients were in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington. Nordic Enterprises in California was the one recipient on the list not named as a college.
Part of a larger grant budget
FMCSA said more than half of its annual budget goes to states and local communities to promote commercial vehicle safety. Besides CMVOST, the agency funds other discretionary grant programs, including the High Priority Grants Program and the Commercial Driver's License Program Implementation Grant. FMCSA said these programs also support the Department of Transportation's National Roadway Safety Strategy.
The department presented the awards as part of its Trucking Action Plan, aimed at meeting demand for drivers and supporting the supply chain workforce. FMCSA Deputy Administrator Vinn White said the agency would work with the recipients to make it easier for drivers to enter and stay in the industry.
What it meant for drivers
For prospective drivers, the grants did not change any licensing rule. They funded training at the recipient schools, where the program's stated priorities were veterans, their families and candidates from rural, refugee and underserved communities.
Archive: this article describes rules and events as of August 2024. Regulations may have changed since, so check the current rule before relying on it.