Senior Reporter
FMCSA Announces Grants for Veteran CMV Driver Training
The funding, provided through a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration program, is double the amount awarded in 2014.
“We support job opportunities for veterans who have served our country, but not only because it is the right thing to do, it also makes good sense,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said. “One of the most important, fastest-growing employment sectors is for qualified commercial vehicle drivers, and veterans bring invaluable experience to the industry and can enter the workforce quickly.”
The grants, announced Oct. 8, mark the latest agency effort to help veterans get good-paying jobs and also alleviate the shortage of truck drivers.
“We doubled the amount we have previously provided through this grant program because of the important role qualified commercial truck and bus drivers hold in moving our economy forward,” FMCSA acting Administrator Scott Darling said. “The men and women who complete these commercial driver training programs also serve our country in a vital way by making safety their top priority every mile, every day.”
In July 2014, FMCSA announced another program to assist veterans. Under this one, state licensing agencies have authority to waive the skills-test portion of the commercial driver license application. It is designed for active duty or recently separated veterans who have safely operated a military truck or bus for at least two years.
Waiving the skills test expedites the civilian CDL application process and reduces expenses for qualified individuals and operating costs to state licensing agencies, FMCSA said.
