Iowa community colleges receive federal support to expand CDL training programs

Four Iowa community colleges have received federal funding to expand their CDL training programs. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Four Iowa community colleges will receive support for their commercial driver’s license training programs through U.S. Department of Transportation grants.

Des Moines Area Community College, Hawkeye Community College, Iowa Central Community College and Western Iowa Tech Community College will receive a combined total of almost $510,000 to expand their CDL programs, according to a news release from U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley.

“Improving pathways for eligible individuals to secure commercial driver’s licenses is a simple way we can boost the economy,” Grassley said in the release. “These resources will unlock good-paying jobs, address labor shortages in the trucking industry and streamline supply chain operations. I’ve seen firsthand the efficacy of commercial driver’s license programs in Iowa and am confident our community colleges will use this federal investment to build on their proven successes.”

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Hawkeye Community College will receive the largest grant of $132,375, followed by Western Iowa Tech with $131,000, DMACC with $127,400 and Iowa Central with $119,000.

DMACC also received $1 million in federal funds this summer for its transportation institute , which houses the CDL training program and is currently being renovated. U.S. Rep Zach Nunn announced the funding at DMACC in June and later traveled to Indian Hills Community College in July to announce a $1 million investment in the college’s CDL program for a new driving pad .

Funding for both programs was awarded through the Community Project Funding process and included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024, signed in March.

State leaders have also sought to support Iowa’s truck driving training programs, with Gov. Kim Reynolds announcing last October that 10 community colleges would receive a combined $4.8 million in Iowa CDL Infrastructure Grants. The funding would go toward remodeling or constructing training facilities and purchasing equipment, according to a news release from the time.

“The pathway to finding a job as a truck driver, one of our most-needed occupations, runs through getting a CDL license,” Reynolds said in the release. “It’s important that we do everything we can to not only make it easier for individuals to obtain these licenses, but also to support the long-term viability of the programs that made it possible to gain that experience right here in Iowa.”

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