The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has awarded millions of dollars worth of funding to community colleges to help current and former military members pursue a career in the trucking industry.

On August 2, the FMCSA announced that $3.1 million would be awarded to community colleges as part of the Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training (CMVOST) Grant Program.

The grant program helps current military members and veterans obtain commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) and truck driver training.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the grant program provides financial assistance to help accomplish three goals: to expand the number of CDL holders possessing operator safety training, to assist current or former members of the United States Armed Forces (including National Guard and reservists) and their spouses with opportunity to enter the trucking industry and to extend grant opportunities to candidates from underserved communities.

“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. 

Buttigieg announced the funding recipients at an event at Lehigh Carbon Community College in Pennsylvania.

For more information on the CMVOST program, please click here.