WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has announced that the Biden Administration is following through on its Trucking Action Plan by awarding more than $44 million in grants that will enhance road safety and make the process to obtain a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) more efficient.
The administration, in a news release, stated that “states and other entities will be able to improve their CDL programs by reducing wait times, ensuring conviction and disqualification data is electronically exchanged, implementing regulatory requirements, and combatting human trafficking. These grants, awarded through the Commercial Driver’s License Program Implementation (CDLPI), will help get more qualified drivers on the road who can help meet supply chain demands.”
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said that the administration has made the trucking industry a top priority.
The plan includes retaining truck drivers and finding even more.
“Now, using funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are helping States bring safe, well-trained truck drivers into the workforce and ease pandemic-driven supply chain disruptions,” Buttigieg said.
The infrastructure law included a 74% increase in CDLPI program funds, which, the administration says, will also help address the rising number of roadway fatalities,
“FMCSA’s core mission is safety, and we’re proud to make investments that support the U.S. Department of Transportation’s ambitious goal of zero fatalities on our roadways,” FMCSA Deputy Administrator Robin Hutcheson said. “The grants we are announcing today are an important tool for reducing large truck crashes and supporting critical safety programs in every State.”
In total, nearly 60% of FMCSA’s annual budget provides States and local communities with grant funding to enhance commercial vehicle safety.
“In addition to improving the process for CDLs, Secretary Buttigieg and President Bidens’s Supply Chain Disruption Task Force have also been focused on the issue of truck driver retention as part of the Trucking Action Plan,” the news release stated.
“Due to pay, parking shortages, and other challenges in the profession, retaining truck drivers has been a major challenge. As part of that effort, the Department has announced that it will undertake a driver compensation study and form a truck leasing task force, and also has clarified what programs in President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law can be used to address truck parking.”
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
