Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration approves $140M in grants to advance CDL programs

On Friday, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced it had awarded more than $140 million in grants to states and schools to advance commercial drivers’ license programs.

The grants, part of the agency’s High Priority (HP) and Commercial Driver’s License Program Implementation (CDLPI) will help the states’ technological capabilities and help get more qualified CDL drivers on the road.

“Two of our Department’s top priorities are improving safety on our roadways and strengthening supply chains, and today’s awards will help with both,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. “The Biden-Harris administration is proud to deliver these funds to get well-qualified truck drivers on our roads and to ensure commercial vehicle safety programs are administered with less bureaucracy.”

The grants included $88 million in HP grants that are intended to provide financial assistance to support state commercial vehicle safety efforts, and to provide financial assistance to advance the technological capability and deployment of intelligent transportations system applications. The grants also included $55 million in CDLPI grants that will provide financial assistance to states and other entities to improve their CDL programs by reducing wait times, ensuring conviction and disqualification data is electronically exchanged, implementing regulatory requirements, combatting human trafficking and achieving FMCSA compliance for standards and programs.

“At FMCSA, we are serious about our mission of reducing crashes and fatalities on the nation’s roadways that involve large trucks and buses,” FMCSA Deputy Administrator Vinn White said. “Together, these grants represent our commitment to investing in America and our dedication to supporting strong state and local partnerships that help ensure safe and qualified CMV drivers are on the roads.”

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