The supply chain issues plaguing the trucking industry are well known by now. This week, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced a round of FMCSA funding that could help alleviate the problem. $3.1 million in federal funds will go to community colleges across the country. The funding is for programs that train veterans to drive trucks.

The FMCSA will issue funds through the Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training (CMVOST) Grant Program. Individual schools as well as school districts will receive between $60,000 and $200,000 each for their training programs. These funds will help improve the training programs while also increasing their affordability. Both are important for getting military veterans behind the wheel.

Secretary Buttigieg announced the new grants in Pennsylvania on Tuesday. In his speech, the secretary, a Navy veteran, extolled the virtues of veterans and the debt that the country owes them.

The FMCSA funding is part of the Trucking Action Plan.

The Biden Administration’s Trucking Action Plan is to thank for this new funding. TAP was announced this year, and it will cost the federal government around $1 trillion dollars. The plan aims to cut out some of the bureaucracy and costs that prevent people from getting CDLs.

Congress originally CMVOST in 2005. Its stated goals were to expand the number of CDL holders with safety training and expand access to training programs for veterans of the armed forces. At the beginning of the Biden Administration, the president announced Executive Order 13985, which added a third goal. This goal is to increase access to training programs for underserved communities.

We support these efforts to get our veterans into the trucking industry. After all, truckers are in high demand and short supply right now. We think it’s great that the Biden Administration is using federal funds to lift up our veterans. If you’re a veteran getting your CDL, make sure to visit DOT Operating Authority once you have it to complete all necessary filings!