FMCSA announces $3.1M in grants to recruit veterans into trucking

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is working to recruit military veterans into the trucking industry.

On Tuesday, Aug. 2, the FMCSA announced $3.1 million in grants being awarded to community colleges and training through the Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training grant program. The grants assist current and former members of the military to earn a commercial driver’s license.

“Veterans know how to get things where they need to go safely,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a news 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 goals of the FMCSA grant program are to increase the number of CDL holders with enhanced operator safety training, provide opportunities for military veterans and increase training opportunities for candidates from underserved communities.

A list of the grants can be found here.

Trucking Action Plan

The administration’s Trucking Action Plan included several programs aimed at improving the recruitment and retention of truck drivers.

The plan includes a Truck Leasing Task Force, studies on detention time and overall driver compensation, and the Women of Trucking Advisory Board.

In April, the administration added truck parking expansion to the priorities in the action plan.

Following the April announcement, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association said that more work needs to be done in order to improve the profession and keep drivers in the industry.

“The Biden Trucking Action Plan remains a mixed bag of policies intended to improve jobs and employment opportunities within the industry,” Jay Grimes,” OOIDA’s director of federal affairs, said in April. “We applaud the administration for adding truck parking to the plan and agree that the lack of parking across the country is about more than just inconvenience.

“OOIDA is also pleased that DOT, along with other federal agencies, has started gathering information on critical issues like detention time and driver compensation. However, drivers are still waiting on meaningful measures that will help address these problems.” LL